Hurry Home
by AnnikaMalfoy
Summary: Sixteen years after Sydney's death, her daughter gets sick of living with an overprotective Adrian and runs away. Will Adrian and the gang be able to find her before it's too late? Or will she share the fate of her mother?
1. Missing

**A/N: This is an AU story for Bloodlines/Vampire Academy. It takes place twenty or so years after Bloodlines. Sydney finally gave into her feelings for Adrian. She married him and gave him a daughter, Emmalyn. Sydney ended up paying the consequences of these actions, but you'll find out about those later. This story is about Adrian and his 16 year-old daughter. Hope you enjoy. **

**ADRIAN**

"Emmy, baby, is that you?" I ask as I press the phone to my ear. After her disappearance twelve hours earlier, I am so desperate to hear from that I didn't even bother to check the caller id before answering the phone.

'I'm afraid not, man." Christian's voice answers. The hope the ringing phone had brought deflates like a balloon with a hole in it. "Lissa and Rose asked me to call to let you know that we have just landed in LA. We should be to your house in an hour or so." He continues.

"Thanks." I say as guilt wells inside me. The second Lissa heard about Emmalyn's disappearance, she, Christian, and the others dropped everything and got on a plane. Lissa intends to send out the best of the best guardians in search of my little girl. This wasn't going to do her any favors with the rebels who were still out to see the end of her reign. "But you guys really didn't have to come. I could've…"

"Don't Adrian." Christian cuts me off. "If it was one of our girls, you'd be doing the same thing." That's was very true. Little Rosemarie and Josephine mean as much to me as Emmalyn does and I would go to the ends of the earth for them.

"You're right, I would. I'll see you in a bit." I say and hang up. If Sydney was here, she'd probably berate me for my lack of manners, but I need to keep my phone line open, in case she decides to call.

"He's right, Adrian." Jailbait whispers placing her hand on my leg. "We will find her and bring her home."

"I have no doubt." I say. "Lissa won't give up until we find her, even if it means losing her spot on the throne. The question is: Will we find her before Jared Sage does?"

Jill sighs and pulls her phone out of her pocket.

"Yes, we will." She says but I can hear the uncertainty in her tone. "I have to check in with the babysitter then I'll call Eddie to see if he's had any luck." She dials a number and presses the phone to her ear. "Sit tight, and I'll be right back." She walks out of the room leaving me to contemplate the worst.

**FLASHBACK**

_Three weeks after the birth of our daughter, Sydney and I stand in a dark alley waiting for Jared Sage and the other Alchemists to take Sydney into custody._

"_You don't have to do this, Sage."__ I say as I stare into her beautiful eyes for what I fear is the last time. "We can go to the royal court, and Lissa can protect you. We can send Emmalyn to St. Vladimir's where they can protect her." _

"_No, Adrian, we can't." Sydney shakes her head and looks at the ground. "I broke Alchemist law by marrying you and giving birth to a dhampir. Not even the Queen can protect me from the consequences of those decisions. If I don't face this now, we'll be running for the rest of our lives. I don't want our little girl to have to live like that." _

"_Neither do I, but I don't want to lose you either, Sage. Not after everything I've had to go through to get you.__" I argue. "__I thought we'd have years together, not months."_

"_I know, but __we have to do what's right by Emmalyn." She says brushing hair out of my eyes. "She doesn't deserve to spend her life in hiding and on the run." _

"_She doesn't deserve to spend her life without her mother." I say pulling her to my chest._

"_That abomination doesn't deserve to have a life at all." A growling voice comes from the shadows behind Sydney. _

"_Our daughter is not an abomination." I growl as I pull Sydney behind me and come face-to-face with Jared Sage and three of his lackeys. _

"_I thought this was a surrender Sydney." Jared asks as he continues to approach us. _

"_It is." Sydney answers in a shaking voice. "Adrian is just having a hard time letting go." She steps out from behind me as I reach for her hand. _

"_Sage, please." I beg. "Let's just run."_

"_Don't you think I want to, Adrian, but I have to protect my baby. And this is the only way to do that." She says placing a gentle kiss on my hand. I pull her back to me before she can pull away. I lift her chin so our eyes meet, and, God forgive me, speak in a slow calm tone._

"_There are other ways to protect her, even if we have to run. We can make sure she's always safe. There are schools all over the world that…"_

_She jerks away with tears sparkling in her eyes._

"_You would try to compel me after you promised never to use magic on me."_

"_I would do anything to save you, love, even if it meant you hating me." I push some loose hair behind your ear. _

"_I know, but you have to let me go for the sake of our daughter, please." _

"_As touching as this is," Jared's bored drawl interrupts. "I have things to do and places to be. Can we get this over with?"_

"_I'm turning myself in. Y__ou can give me five minutes, Father." Sydney snaps. "I'm sorry Adrian, for everything. For fighting my feelings. For not giving you all the time you deserve. But mostly, I'm sorry for leaving you to raise our daughter alone. You are the greatest man I know, and you deserve so much more than what I gave you."_

"_No, Sage. You're the one who deserved more than what loving me got you. I'm sorry we "evil creatures of the night" got you into this mess, and that I can't get you out of it." _

"_I'm going to turn myself over now." She says as the tears begin to spill down her cheeks. "The second I let go, I want you to walk away and don't look back, no matter what happens. Can you do that?"_

"_For you, Sage, I can do anything." I twine my fingers in her hair and pull her face to mine. Our lips meet and we share our last kiss. It tastes of Sydney and salt from the tears we were both shedding. In those last moments, I remember everything, good and bad, that brought to this moment and my heart breaks. _

_I know this needs to be done, to protect us all, but I can't let go or break the kiss. All I can do is hold on to the women who saved me in so many ways and never let go. Sydney is the one to break it and when she does, she wraps her arms around me and buries her face in my neck. _

"_I love you, Adrian Ivashkov, always." She whispers as she pulls away. _

"_I love you more, Sydney Ivashkov."_

_She turns to go to her father and I start to walk away as promised. _

"_It's just as we discussed on the phone, right Father?" I hear Sydney say. "I turn myself over to you and you leave Adrian and our daughter alone for the rest of their lives." _

"_Of course." The smirk in his voice causes me to turn around. His aura is the pulsing red of lies and violence__.__ In that moment, I realize I made a terrible mistake, but it's too late to do anything about it. __"They have broken no laws." _

"_Good, then take me, and I will accept the consequences of my actions." She says. Jared's smirk widens as he grabs Sydney and yanks her to him. _

"_NOO!" I yell racing back to her__.__ I don't know what he's planning, but I will not let him hurt my wife. _

"_Stop!" Jared is pressing a knife to her throat. I freeze on the spot refusing to give him a reason to use it. "Good vampire. Now, hold out your arm." I do as he says without hesitation. _

_Two of his Alchemist friends come over to me—one has a syringe in his hand. _

"_Leave him alone." Sydney yells as the man shoves the syringe into my arm. The fluid is barely out of the syringe when I lose control of my body. I drop to my knees and can't even throw my arms out to break my fall. "What did you do to him?" Sydney's cry is followed by a gasp of pain. I can't lift my head to see what he did to her. _

"_Just a vampire paralytic." Jared says in an amused tone. "It'll wear off in a few hours. By then, I'll be finished with you and long gone." _

"_And what exactly are you going to do to me?" Sydney says adopting a tone of absolute calm. _

"_You didn't really think that marrying one of them and having a half breed child wouldn't have more severe consequences than re__-__education, did you?" Jared asks and I hear another gasp from Sydney. _

"_Then kill me, just l__et Adrian go, please." She begs._

"_Don't worry." Jared whispers. "He'll be free to leave once the drugs wear off, but I want him to watch. I want him to see how his love has destroyed you. I want him to watch you die and know there's nothing he can do to save you." _

_I want to laugh, but I hold it in. I don't think he realizes that I don't need to be touching Sydney to heal her or bring her back from the dead. If he wants to kill her in front of me, then I'd let him. I will just bring her back when he's finished with her. _

"_Micheal, the vial please?" He says to the man still at his side. "Chris, Tim, hold him up and make sure he has a good view." _

_Someone grabs me by the hair and yanks me into a kneeling position. Sydney is right in my view, and she looks as calm and composed as ever._

"_You're going to poison me?"__ Sydney asks. She doesn't sound very impressed with his methods or even scared by them. She just sounds a little bored. I hope she's had the same realization as me. _

"_Something like that." Jared laughs uncorking the vial. __"Drink it." __Sydney refuses, and Jared pushes the knife harder against her throat. He pours the vial down her throat as she gasps in pain. She coughs and sputters as she tries not to drink it. _

"_Watch closely, vampire." Jared snarls as he drags the knife across her throat. Blood spurts everywhere as he lets her fall to the ground. _

"_Sydney!" I scream and will my body to fight its way to her. Nothing happens and I watch helplessly for a moment before I begin the process of calling her spirit back to her body, but I hit a wall. A wall that won't break down no matter what I do or how hard I try. It remains firm and refuses to allow her spirit back into her body. _

"_What did you do?" I growl at Jared . _

"_We created a serum __that blocks the effects of a spirit users powers on a human." Jared smiles. "You can't bring her back, and neither can the queen. She's gone, and there's nothing you can do to bring her back." _

"_She was your daughter, you bastard." I yell. _

"_The treacherous bitch was no daughter of mine." Jared laughs as he walks over to his daughter's body. Sydney's blood was running in rivers along the cracks in the concrete as she lay motionless on the ground. _

"_Don't touch her." I yell still trying to force movement from my unwilling body. Hysteria is just bubbling below the surface, but I try to control it. I will not break in front of these monsters. _

"_I have no intention of doing that. I just need to get rid of the evidence." He pulls out a sm__all bag of chemicals. It looks like something Sydney used to carry around with her. He pulls a pinch of a dust like substance out of it and sprinkles it on her body. It decays into dust within a matter of seconds. _

"_NO!" I yell again. Jared gets down on m__y level with an evil smirk across his face. _

"_Now, I'm going to leave you for a while." He says forcing me to look at him. "I want you to dwell on this night for a long time. I want you to think about it every day, knowing you could've saved her if you had just stuck to your own kind. And I want you to have to explain to your daughter why she doesn't have a mother anymore. But I'll come back, and when I do, neither of you will survive it." _

_He kicks me in the stomach, and I fall to the ground gasping for air while he and his friends run away like that cowards they are. _

**END FLASHBACK**

I know Jared has nothing to do with Emmalyn's disappearance. Her leaving was my own stupid fault. If only I could learn to control my anger. Jared Sage hasn't been seen since the night he killed Sydney, and that is the problem. She's out in the world without me or her guardians to protect her. If that bastard finds out, I know he won't hesitate to find and kill her.

"Damn it!" I yell flipping the coffee table over. Jill's coffee cup shatters against the wall sending coffee flying everywhere.

"Adrian!" Jill runs back into the room with a look of horror on her face. "This isn't going to help anything. Please calm down."

"How can I calm down, Jill?" I ask not bothering to hide my tears. There's no point. Jill could feel every bit of sadness, guilt, and anger as me. "My baby is gone, and it's my fault."

"No, Adrian, it's not." She puts her hand on my shoulder.

"I wish I could believe that."

**FLASHBACK **

"_Dad, we need to talk." Emmalyn says as we sit down for our weekly father/daughter dinner._

"_About what?" I ask spooning spaghetti on my plate. I try not to show her how uncomfortable those words make me. She never began a conversation with those words unless it was something serious. _

"_I would like you to consider lightening up on my security, especially when I'm at school." She says quickly shoving spaghetti in her mouth to cover her embarrassment. _

"_No." I answer without hesitation. "We had an __agreement when I took you out of St. Vladimir's." She attended the very secure school for Moroi and dhampirs from kindergarten until she got into junior high. It was then the other kids started realizing she wasn't like them and, well, kids can be cruel._

"_I had to agree to have two guardians with me at all times, Dad." She argues. "It was the only way you'd let me leave, and I was miserable there." _

"_And that's why I let you leave, Emmy, but I can't risk your safety by allowing you to go anywhere without your guardians." I say. _

"_Do you realize that people are afraid to even talk to me because of Mark and Brandon? Even Kelly, my best friend, is hesitant to sit with me at lunch. Their presence is intimidating. Boys won't even look at me. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?" Her tone is dripping with anger and resentment and her aura is pulsing red._

"_No, I don't, but it doesn't change anything." I say trying__ to keep my own anger in check. If we both flew off the handle, there'd be no coming back from that. "I took you out of St. Vladimir's where you were safe because you were unhappy. Mark and Brandon are the compromise." _

"_But they are making me miserable at a human school."_

"_As much as I hate to say this, I'd rather have you miserable and alive than happy and dead, that's all there is to it." _

"_You're trying to keep me in a cage because of a man who hasn't shown his face in sixteen years."_

"_A man who killed your mother and threatened to kill you, Emmy. What am I supposed to do? Let you go back and forth to school without protection every day fearing that I'll never see you again?" _

"_Yes, because that's what normal father's do. They send their children out into the world, hoping nothing bad happens to them. They don't send bodyguards everywhere with their daughters." _

"_But you aren't normal, Emmalyn, even by dhampir standards. You are a product of forbidden love, and that has its consequences. God knows, you're mother's already suffered them, I'll be damned before I let the same thing happen to you." _

"_I don't believe it." She slams her fists on the table. "This isn't even about me, is it? You're trying to strangle me because you couldn't save Mom." _

_I take a deep breath and count to ten. The two of us almost never fight, but when we do it gets bad. She's got her mother's stubbornness, and my ability to hurt someone with just a few words. I always expect cutting and hurtful remarks when she's angry, and I usually walk away and let her cool off._

_This time is different, though. We talk about Sydney and what happened all the time. I refuse to let my daughter grow up without knowing her mother or understanding what happened. I tell her every day that I'd give anything to have been able to save Sydney that day. This is the first time she's ever used that against me, and I can't walk away. I try to stay calm. _

_"Emmalyn, you are treading in dangerous water." I say. "I suggest you go to your room and cool off. We will continue this conversation in a few hours." _

_"No, I want to talk about how your guys' stupid decisions ruined my life__.__" _

_Her words cut deeper than I thought possible. I had spent the last sixteen years making sure she had everything she wanted and needed. I gave her the world and did everything I could to protect her._

_"Watch it, young lady." I say through my teeth. "Without those stupid decisions, you wouldn't even be here."_

"_I'd rather not be here than be trapped by my overprotective father because he couldn't save my mother." She__ answers. _

_I will forever regret what happens next, and I honestly have no excuse for it. Her accusations make me see red and I forget I'm talking to my daughter. I raise my hand and, before I can stop myself, backhand her across the face. _

_She lets out a cry of pain and fear as she falls from her chair. She hits the floor clutching her cheek and stares up at me in pain and fear. Remorse and guilt shoot through to my core as I realize what I did. _

_"Oh my God, Emmy, are you ok?" I bend to help her up. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." _

_"Don't touch me." she growls as she backs away from me. _

_I hold my hands up in surrender and she scrambles to her feet. She disappears up the stairs and I flinch as I hear her door slam. Instead of going after her, I go to my room to calm myself. _

_Emmalyn's gone when I emerge an hour later. _

**END FLASHBACK**

"I hit her, Jill." I say unable to contain my remorse and guilt. More tears fall down my cheeks. "I hit my baby girl. I've never once in sixteen years ever raised my hand to her." Jill gives me an I-know-you-better-than-that look and I sigh. "Yes, I've spanked her, but I've never hit her like that. God, I haven't hit anyone like that, since before I met Sydney. I'm a horrible father."

I put my head in my hands and take a couple deep breaths. I need to compose myself before Lissa and the others arrive—I won't be much help if I was an emotional wreck.

"Adrian Ivashkov, don't you dare say that. I've watched you with that girl every day of her life and you have been the best father a girl could dream of for the last sixteen years. I'm not going to deny that you made a huge mistake with her, but that doesn't make you a bad father. That makes you human. And despite our supernatural existence, that's all any of us are: human."

"Those are nice words, Jill, and I appreciate them, but, it doesn't change what I did or the fact that Emmalyn is gone and I might not ever see her again." I say.

I know I was probably being a little melodramatic, especially with the kind of help I was going to be getting in the search for her. Lissa and the others will pull out all the stops to insure Emmalyn's safe return, and Eddie was already out tracking her.

Jared Sage is the only thing I'm worried about. If he got to her before we did, he would probably use her as bait to lure me in then kill us both.

"Do you really think Lissa and I are gonna give up before we find her?" Jill asks pointedly. "As her Godmothers, you should know us better than that."

"Lissa has other responsibilities. As queen she has to take care of all the vampires. She can't put everything on hold for this." I argued.

"I doubt she'd see it that way."

"That will definitely get her brownie point with the rebels." I answer sarcastically.

"It should considering it shows her people that her loyalty knows no bounds."

""I doubt they'll…" I start to say but am cut off by a pounding on the front door.

"Hey, Adrian, open up! It's the cavalry!"

**A/N: Well, what do you guys think? I'm sorry if it's a little confusing, but I'm trying something knew with my tenses. I'm not sure how it is turning out. Let me know what you guys think. Anyway, hope you enjoy! **


	2. Searching

**A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long to update. My muses have been working overtime lately, and I have like six projects that I've been working on. From now on though, you guys should expect an update every other Saturday. **

**Also, this story is mostly going to be from Adrian's P.O.V. with the occasional bit from Emmalyn, but that won't be until a little closer to the middle of the story. And I haven't found a way to make this completely clear in the story, so I'm just going to come right out and say it here, Jill and Eddie are married and have two dhampir boys, Eddie Jr. and Mason.**

**Also, there are some Indigo Spell spoilers in this story. If you don't wish certain little things to be ruined, I would advise coming back once you've read Indigo Spell. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**ADRIAN**

"Hey, Adrian, open up! It's the cavalry!" I can't help but smile as Rose's voice calls through the door. It took a little while, but she and I managed to salvage our friendship and we've grown very close since I got with Sydney. In fact, I don't know how I would have made it through Sydney's death and the first few months of being a single father without her. She and Belikov had been there to help me through everything, even volunteering to babysit when I needed a break.

I cross the living room in three short strides and pull the door open. The shock of what I see bringing me up short. Not only are my friends—Lissa, Christian, Dimitri, and Rose—standing on the other side of it, but Sonya Karp, Mikhail Tanner, my mother, and about twenty other Moroi and guardians are behind them.

"What's this?" I ask swallowing the lump in my throat. I had always known Lissa and the others would do anything for my baby, but to see them show up with this much back up was mind blowing and heartwarming.

"We told you, Adrian." Rose smiles and throws her arms around me. "We are prepared to do anything to find Emmy and bring her home. Did you think we wouldn't bring any back up?"

"I just didn't expect this much." I say waving every one inside. "I assumed you'd ask a few guardians to come, but not an entire army of guardians and Moroi."

"Well, that's the funny thing." Lissa says pulling me into an embrace. "We only asked a few guardians to come. When the rest heard what was going on, they volunteered. It seems your little girl made a lot of friends in the few years she's spent at court."

"You should've expected that I would be here." Sonya says taking her turn to hug me once Lissa pulled away. "Sydney Sage Ivashkov was the bravest women I've ever met, and I'll be damned before I let anything bad happen to her daughter."

"I figured you'd be busy with your own children." I smile returning the hug.

"Please, Melissa and Andrew are old enough to take care of themselves now." She replies. "They wanted to come, but they had a school project I made them stay home to work on."

I nod as Sonya moves on to join Jill and Lissa in their conversation. The sisters have managed to form some kind of sisterly bond despite their past. I don't think they'll ever be as close as normal sisters, but they were no longer embarrassed or awkward around each other. They had managed to build something stable and comfortable over the years. That was what mattered.

"Did you honestly think I would just sit at home while my granddaughter was out there somewhere with her life potentially in danger?" My mother says pulling me out of my thoughts of Jill and Lissa.

"Of course not." I smile and hug her. "I just assumed Dad wouldn't let you come, considering how he feels about my relationship with Sydney and Emmalyn."

"Yes, well, he's out of town and I've never cared what he thought." She says squeezing me tighter. "I've always been proud of you for following your heart, even if it wasn't the most socially acceptable thing to do. You deserved to be happy. I just wish you had more time with her."

"So do I." I sigh.

Christian, Dimitri, and the other volunteers come next with handshakes and promises to do whatever they can to help me find her and keep Jared from getting his hands on her. I express my appreciation to every one of them telling them to make themselves at home.

"Alright, people, enough with the pleasantries." Lissa says once everyone's inside. "My goddaughter is out there somewhere, and we need to find her before Jared Sage does." She spoke the words with the air of a true monarch, and everyone in the room stopped to listen. "Now, Adrian, I need a status report. What have you been doing in the last 12 hours?"

"Eddie, Mark, and Brandon have been out searching all of her usual hang outs, but they've turned up with nothing." I explain. "Eddie even paid a visit to Emmalyn's best friend. Kelly says that Emmalyn stopped by for a half hour or so, but didn't say where she was going. Eddie got the impression she was lying, but I can't do anything to make her tell the truth without the cops getting involved."

"What about compelling her to tell the truth?" Christian suggests. "I know it is completely wrong and underhanded, but if it's our only option…"

"It will be our last option." Lissa said offering him a smile. "I don't want to freak her out or anything. What else?"

"I've called my bank and credit card companies and told them to call me if she uses any of her cards." I continue. "The bank called four hours ago, she withdrew five thousand dollars from an ATM about 20 miles from here. Mark and Brandon went to check it out, but they found nothing."

"Have you considered cancelling her cards?" Dimitri asks. "If she has no money, she's more likely to come home."

"Yes, I've thought about it, but I don't want to leave her stranded, especially with Jared out there. I'll just track her by how often she uses them." I answer trying not to sound irritated by his suggestion. I know he is just trying to help.

"What about Zoe and Marcus? Have you called them?" Lissa asks not wasting time with arguments.

"I've been trying to get into contact with both of them, but considering their lifestyle, it's a little difficult." I say.

When Zoe was first sent to Palm Springs, she was exactly like Sydney had been when she first met Rose—the model alchemist wanting nothing more than to make her bosses happy and hating everything about us "evil creatures of the night." She couldn't understand how Sydney could be so friendly with us, despite how much time both Sage girls were forced to spend with us. Zoe was even a little suspicious of Sydney's relationship with us.

It wasn't until she caught Sydney and I making out at Clarence's that things started changing. She was torn between loyalty to her sister and to the Alchemists and didn't know what she should do. Sydney convinced her to hear us out about our relationship as well as the secrets the Alchemists were keeping from them. Zoe conceded and we called Marcus back to Palm Springs.

It was love at first sight and Zoe didn't care what Marcus had to say. She'd do anything just to be with him. She performed her spying mission flawlessly, broke the tattoo, and got it sealed. She and Marcus took off looking for more rogue Alchemists returning only for Sydney's memorial services and the occasional visit. Zoe refused to be completely removed from her niece's life.

"I'm sure they'll find a way to get a hold of us, if she happens to find them." I continue wishing for the first time that my daughter had a normal family. "I've also spoken with Sydney's mother and older sister," Carly and her mother had never agreed with the way Jared handled Sydney's "betrayal." In fact, when they heard Jared killed her, the severed all ties to him and the Alchemists. "Emmalyn hasn't been in contact with them, yet, but they said they call if she shows up."

"Okay." Lissa sighs. "What about a boyfriend?" I shake my head remembering her comment about guys being afraid to even look at her. "Is there anyone else she would go to for help or a place to stay?"

"Just Jackie." I say.

"Who's Jackie?" Lissa asks.

"Emmalyn's magic teacher." I say.

Just before Emmalyn asked to leave St. Vladimir's, she began showing the same aptitude for magic that Sydney had. Unlike Sydney, Emmalyn hadn't been taught to shun and fear magic and, according to Jackie Terwillinger, that was why Emmalyn's powers manifested naturally.

Jackie was the reason I had chosen Palm Springs as our home when I left the court and took Emmy out of St. Vladimir's. It wasn't easy being in a place with so many memories, but it was best for Emmalyn. I spent months watching Jackie train Sydney and knew there was no better teacher in the world. I wanted my daughter to reach her fullest potential, even if that meant staring my past in the face every day.

"I called her, and she's working on a tracking spell." I explain. Thankfully, everyone already knew about Emmy's magical abilities, so it wasn't exactly news to them. "We doubt it will work, though. One of the first things Jackie taught her, at my request, was how to cloak herself from other witches. I realize what a stupid idea it was, now."

"It wasn't stupid, Adrian." Christian says with a sympathetic smile. "We don't know how far Jared will go to get his hands on her. If he decides to dip into witchcraft then we're covered."

"It also screws us." I remind him.

"We've got two spirit users and a handful of Moroi and dhampirs lookin for her. Yes, the witchcraft would've made it easier, but we don't need it. Better she be protected from Jared than easily findable for us." Rose says in a now-stop-beating-yourself-up tone.

"Exactly. We are still waiting to hear back from her, though, right?" Lissa cuts in.

"Yes. Spells like that take a long time to prepare and they suck your energy like a leech." I explain. "I remember the times I watched when Sydney would scry for someone. She nearly passed out every time. Jackie will get back to us when she can."

"Okay, then, it looks like we are going to have to get a little more creative here. Sonya, Mikhail I want you to go to Kelly's. Make it clear that Emmalyn's life is in danger. See if she changes her story. Compel her, only if she refuses to tell you the truth."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Mikhail says with a bow.

"Adrian, what is Kelly's address?"

"555 Maplewood Drive. Three blocks over." I answer automatically. The girls had been best friends since the middle of seventh grade. Kelly was like a second daughter to me, so I knew her address and phone number by heart.

"We will let you know what we find out." Sonya hugs me tightly before she and Mikhail walk out the door.

"Rose," Lissa continues still in Queen mode. "Get my phone out of my bag and call Donna Stanton. Explain the situation to her. Tell her that the Queen wants to know where Jared Sage is, what he's been doing for the last 16 years. Hell, I wanna know what the man had for breakfast this morning. Also, tell her that the queen is demanding that she get some of her people looking for him. I want him locked up until Emmalyn is safely returned to her father."

I sigh knowing that route will get us nowhere. Stanton didn't agree with Jared's methods either. When he killed Sydney, he wasn't following Alchemist protocol. He was just trying to save his name from embarrassment. However, Stanton looked the other way because he rid the Alchemists of a problem. And I knew she didn't give two shits about Emmalyn. All the Alchemists considered my daughter to be an abomination. None of them would be willing to help protect her, no matter how many threats Lissa threw their way.

"Don't worry, Adrian." Rose puts her hand on my shoulder. "If Lissa's threats don't work, I can guarantee mine will. Even if it means, I have to get on another plane and threaten them in person. I don't care how it makes us look. Nothing but getting Emmalyn safely home matters right now."

"Thanks, Rose." I sigh knowing she will make good on her promise.

"Now, Adrian, I have to ask you to do something that you aren't going to like, but it will help insure the right people find her." Lissa continues once Rose begins her task. "I need you to call and report Emmalyn's car stolen."

"Then she'll get arrested." I argue. "I don't want her in a jail cell."

"Isn't that better than at the mercy of Sage?"

I know she's right, but I can't stand the thought of my little girl in some dank dark cell. It's as hard to imagine as it was to see Rose in the court's jail when the thought she murdered my aunt. Emmalyn was a free spirit, like Rose, she wouldn't do well in a cage for any amount of time.

"I can't do that." I shake my head. "I understand it would help us find her, but I can't be responsible for my little girl getting locked up."

"It's okay, man. We get it." Christian says squeezing my shoulder. "We'll figure something else out." Lissa gives him a look that says stay-out-of-it, but Christian shakes his head. "We will find another way, Lis."

"Fine, we can skip that part then." She sighs. "But I do want you to call Mark and Brandon back here. I want to have a few words with them about how she slipped by them."

I nod. I had already reamed them out for it, but that wasn't going to stop Lissa from doing it again. I pull out my phone and walk into the bathroom while Lissa continues to give orders to the others in the room.

When I emerge ten minutes later, the room is organized chaos. Everyone has separated into groups discussing strategies.

"Adrian," Lissa calls spotting me from where she was standing with Christian and Jill. "Come here." I cross the room in two strides. "Do you think you could dig up some recent pictures of Emmalyn? A few of the groups are going door-to-door, and they need something to show people."

"Sure, I'll go get them right now." I head up to my room.

I go immediately to my closet. I keep a shoebox on the top shelf with all of my favorite memories in it. There's a bunch of Sydney's things in it, including our first photo as husband and wife, and her wedding band—the only thing left after Jared's dust destroyed her body. There's also a few silly things, including the keys to Latte—something she couldn't bear to part with—and a journal she was using to keep track of spells and other magical exercises. Most importantly, there were tons of pictures of Emmalyn. I keep them there as a way to help Sydney get to know her daughter. I know it sounds silly, but you never know.

I sink onto the bed and pull out a handful from the last six months. The first one in the stack is of Emmalyn and Kelly standing side by side making silly faces at the camera. It was taken on Emmalyn's sixteenth birthday when I took the two of them to L.A. for the weekend. It's only a face shot, but I know they are both in bikinis on the beach.

I flip to the next one. It is of me and Emmalyn this last Christmas. We are both wearing Santa hats and candy cane sweaters while decorating our tree. She's happier in this picture than I've ever seen her.

I swallow a sob and flip to the next and the next one, all the while berating myself for being stupid enough to think that I could protect her forever. I should've known she'd one day want to stop living the sheltered life I've given her.

A knock on my door pulls me out of my thoughts. I look up to see my mother standing there with a sad smile on her face.

"Are you alright?" She sighs. "I'm sorry. That was stupid. Of course, you're not alright. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"It's my fault." I say shaking my head. "All my fault. I tried so hard to protect her, mom. And all I succeeded in doing was pushing her away."

"You can't think like that, Adrian." She walks over, sits next to me, and puts her arm around my shoulders. "All parents do stupid things to protect their children. Just look at me."

"This is different mom." I shake my head. "You're mistake in trying to protect me only got you put in jail. My mistake could get her killed. I don't want that to happen because I didn't know when to let go. She asked me at dinner to lighten up on her security and I refused."

"You were doing what you thought was best for her, honey. She didn't agree with you. That isn't anybody's fault. Parents and children disagree all the time. She'll come to understand your decisions and accept them."

"But will it be soon enough to save her from Jared?"

"I don't know, baby, I don't know." She whispers laying her head on my shoulder.

"Believe me, if he lays a finger on her it'll be the last thing he ever does." Rose's voice came from the doorway. "Not to rush you, but we need those pictures so we can get started."

"You're going with a search party?" I ask stunned by this news. I thought for sure Rose and Dimitri would insist on staying with Christian and Lissa. I doubted anyone knew they were here, but I didn't think they would take the chance of leaving their charges without protection.

"Dimitri and I don't trust the groups to do the job right." Rose says. "So we are going to lead them. A few of the others are going to stay here with you guys."

"You mean they're going to stay here with Lissa, Christian, Jill, and my mom, right?" I ask.

"No, Lissa wants you to stay here, too." Rose confirms. "She says she has an important job for you. One that you can't do unless you're here."

"I'm not letting these people go out searching for my daughter while I'm sitting at home doing nothing." I stand up and walk to the doorway.

"Then you talk to Lissa about it." She shrugs. "I've learned not to argue with her when she's in Queen mode."

"Maybe, you should at least find out what she wants you to do." My mother suggests coming to stand behind me.

"Fine." I say. "But if I don't like it, I'm going out on my own."

"And I'll be right there with you." She says and I nod.

We follow Rose down the stairs. Everyone is again standing in their little groups. Only this time, they are waiting for me, and I feel the need to say something. They came here to help me find my daughter and I need to let them know how grateful I am for that. I have to thank them in the best way I can.

"I'll pass them around." Rose says taking the pictures from my hand. "Lissa wants to talk to you a little more."

"First, I need to say something." I tell her. "I just want to thank all of you for being here. I know you all probably have more important things to be getting on with. Thank you for putting those things aside for me and my daughter. You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you."

Nobody says anything, but I can see the sympathy and determination in all their eyes. They would stop at nothing to make sure my daughter was returned to me. I hand the pictures to Rose and seek out Lissa.

She's in the kitchen sitting at the table with Christian and Jill. Jill is on the phone telling the babysitter it will be another couple of hours before she or Eddie return home. Christian and Lissa are having a whispered conversation that ends the moment they see me.

I slump down in the fourth chair at the table beyond caring what they were talking about. Jill hangs up the phone and shoves it back in her pocket before sighing and burying her face in her hands.

"I feel so bad." She says. "Nancy's going to miss most of her classes today. She's says not to worry about it, that what I'm doing is more important, but I just…"

"Then go home, Jailbait." I say putting a head on her shoulder. "You and Eddie both should. You've been helping me since she disappeared 12 hours ago. You both need rest and to spend time with your kids."

"He's right, Jill." Lissa says. "You two have done so much already. Go home and get some sleep. You can come back tomorrow."

"I can't leave you, Adrian." Jill shakes her head. "Not while you still feel so helpless and guilty."

"You being here when you should be with your own babies isn't going to help me feel less guilty." I insist. "Please, just go get some rest and come back later. I'll be fine, and I won't be alone. You need sleep."

"Alright." She sighs. "I'll go but you have to promise that you'll get some rest too. You aren't going to be much help finding her if you're exhausted."

"I'll do my best." I tell her, knowing it's a lie.

"Adrian, I can feel you lying." She points out.

"We will make sure he tries to get some sleep." My mom says. "Like he said, though, you've done enough for him today. Let us take over for a while. We'll take care of him. You go take care of your family."

Jill nods and puts her arms around me.

"We won't give up until she is safely back with us." She tells me. "I promise."

"I know, Jailbait, I know."

"I'll walk you out." Christian rises. His friendliness toward her had long since stopped bothering Lissa, who just smiles and says goodbye to her sister.

"Rose said you had a job for me." I say anxious to do my part in finding my daughter.

"I was thinking." She answers as my mother sits down beside me. "And I had an idea so obvious, I'm surprised neither one of us has thought of it before. You could visit her in her dreams and try to talk to her there. She might listen if she can't escape the dream."

I shake my head. It may have been too obvious a solution for her, but it was the first thing that I tried.

"I've been trying since the moment I discovered she was gone." I explain. "I think she knows that's something I'd try, because she hasn't been asleep since she left."

"Try again." Lissa urges. "She's been gone for over 12 hours and awake for over twenty-four. If she doesn't give in on her own, exhaustion's bound to take over."

I nod and close my eyes focusing all of my energy on Emmalyn. I imagined I could see her, wherever she was, smiling at me and telling me it was going to be okay. Unfortunately, this exercise couldn't tell me where she was, but wherever it was, she was finally sleeping.

"She's asleep." I whisper concentrating on projecting the image of her bedroom into the dream as I try to break into her subconscious. Just before I make contact, a wall, not unlike the one from when I tried to save Sydney, springs up and no matter how hard I push I can't get through it. My eyes snap open in time to see Christian walking back into the kitchen. "This is not good." I say.

"What?" My mom asks.

"I can't get through."

**A/N: What do you guys think of chapter 2? **


	3. Finally Free

**A/N: Hey guys, I again want to apologize for taking so long to update this story. School and work were killing me for a while. Now that I have graduated, I can focus more on writing. **

**Also, I wanted to let all of you know that I am trying something new with this story. For the first time, I have taken on a co-author. will be helping me write this story from now on. She is the mastermind behind the wonderful chapter you are about to read, and she is amazing. She wrote Sydney and Adrian's daughter a million times better than I ever good. **

**Finally, I just want to state that neither of us condone underage drinking, but we both know that any child of Adrian's would be able to throw back the alcohol like there's no tomorrow. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and please send some love for it. I will make sure she gets all of your amazing comments.**

**EMMALYN**

"OW!" I shout shaking my head trying to get the insane pounding to stop. I know the feeling however, a spirit user is trying to dream walk with me—that spirit user being my father. He taught me at a very young age how to block out vampire magic. He didn't want Jared Sage getting to me. Looking at the clock I swear when it reads 8 a.m. Only two hours of sleep, perfect.

I had been on the run for the last twelve hours. I managed to take the AM Track from Palm Springs to downtown San Diego. It took some magic and time but I just needed to get away. All my father cares about is locking me up and keeping me as a museum piece for the things he can control. Sometimes when he looks at me I think he doesn't even see me, he just sees mom.

Not that he would talk about mom with anyone, especially me. He stopped talking to me about mom when we moved to Palm Springs. Jackie says it is because this place is where they fell in love, but I just don't buy it. He never lets me out of his sight.

Escaping had been the easy part. I mean when you live your entire life in isolation you think of different ways you would escape, and how you would see the world.

I am my mother's daughter –or so Rose tells me—when it comes to school. I love it and I pretty much know everything about everything. My father buys up books on practically everything but he has a love for Rome. I don't know why because he never really talks to me. I mean he talks to me but not about things that matter. No he keeps everything important close to his chest.

Anyway, drugging my guards wasn't hard. I had made up special gum and given each of them a piece—something I do on a regular basis—that just made them fall asleep. From there, I packed a bag and jumped out of a second story window into a tree; Shimming down the tree then to the bus station and from the bus station to the Am Track then to downtown. See escaping wasn't the hard part what I do next is.

Reaching into my bag I pull out an old photo album. I made it over the course of five years. Every time my father was out I would sneak around his stuff and find anything that had my mother's face or name on it. Soon I had a huge box of things that I slowly organized by date and time then put into a scrap book of sorts. It is how I got to know my mother and is my most treasured possession. I have copies of my parents wedding photo, wedding bands, my mother birth certificate, and anything that had the name Sydney Sage. Sometimes I would look through it and wonder if she would be proud of me or think I was crazy or just laugh at the things I do or say. I wonder if, wherever she is, she misses me or if she is looking after me.

When I was younger I would always pretend that she was a special person on a secret mission like Aunt Zoe and Uncle Marcus but one day she would be back or one day I would find her.

Wiping away stray tears I shut the book, stuffing it into my bag and walked out of the most disgusting motel I have ever seen. I have stayed there for the past five hours if I stay there any longer I just know they will find me. I walk out into the sunny morning that graces San Diego.

I sold my father's car when I got to the Am Track station knowing he would report it stolen. I sold it to a chop shop and got 20,000 dollars for it. Also I gave my credit cards, debit cards, and pin to a hobo and told him if the police ever caught him with it to tell them I took the train to the Canadian border. That should buy me at least a day to figure out what I was doing and where I was going. But I haven't had a clue.

"Hey, vampire, hold up!" I stop dead in my tracks and slowly turn to the boy standing behind me. Okay to call him a boy is mean he is more like a young adult.

"What did you just call me?" I inquire staring at him like he has three heads.

"Vampire, well you're technically a damphir but whatever. Where are you heading?" he says as if he just said I have cute shoes.

"No, and who are you?" Still looking at him like he is from another planet.

"Nik. Nik Baker at your service." Staring at Nik Baker I realize what he looks like. He is tall like freakishly so I am guessing 6'5" maybe 6'6". Muscular, as if he does cross fit on a regular basis, black hair chopped short but there is enough hair to see he has ran his fingers through it recently, blue eyes with a hint of purple you would think this young adult is from a movie or something. But he isn't a vampire or a damphir.

Before I can think my mouth blurts out "What are you?" Not the nicest way to inquire about someone's species but it works.

Nik just lets out a bellowing laugh so loud that it shakes his whole body and the building we are standing next to. "I am human but not your regular type. I am a warlock from a powerful coven in the area. Since you are a damphir, I am guessing this is the first you have ever heard of witches and warlocks, and you probably think I am crazy."

Somehow I feel oddly comfortable around him. So much so that I feel like I have met him before. This isn't like spirit magic or any type of magic that makes you feel relaxed. He just seems like a genuine person.

"No, it isn't. My mother was a witch." I state in a matter-of-fact tone. Nik just stares at me as if I am the one with three heads as the puzzle pieces start to fall into place.

"So she is human?" He questions as if saying the wrong thing will set of a chain reaction of hidden land mines that will send him into oblivion.

Hooking my arm in his I state "Was. She died right after I was born. You see she was an alchemist and her father didn't take it too kindly when he found out she had a damphir baby. So he killed her and burned her body." Nik continues to stare at me with amazement and wonder.

"What is your name?" He finally asks after what seems like eternity of silence.

"Emmalyn Sage and, if you are interested, I have a story for you that will change the way you think. Also call me Alyn."

Hey, if I am on the run, I need a side kick and alias, right? I think I could embrace Alyn Sage.

"Wow, you have a complicated life." Nik says as we sip our coffee. We headed into one of the billion Starbucks that you will find in San Diego. Oh how I miss Espresso Celio rich and smooth lattes but that didn't matter right now.

We had been here for the past forty five minutes and I was getting scared that someone will recognize me and report me to my father.

"Yeah, so tell me about you." I prompt him still surveying the place. Nik just stares at me with amusement before he speaks again.

"Well, seeing as you are on the run and obliviously worrying when you will be caught, make a deal with me. You let me hide you and show you a bit of life while we are at it and I will tell you tonight my whole life story."

Is he evading the question or just putting it off? Either way can I trust him? Well I just did tell him my whole life story so what else do I have to lose?

"Deal. What did you have in mind?" This is the first deal I have ever made. Part of me wants to jump around and dance because I am making my own choices for once and living! I, Emmalyn Danielle Iskhakov, am doing something her father would hate! I feel free.

"Well it is vampire night, and it is young, so why not go out and party." Nik Baker is mischievous and calculating, but he is a good listener and completely and totally interesting.

"A party?" I have never been to a party in my life. I wouldn't know the first thing about parties. All I do is go to school then home and maybe if I am lucky I go over to my best friend's house for a few hours before dark. I have never spent the night over at anyone's house nor have I gone to a homecoming or a prom or a winter formal. The idea of a party is as foreign to me as Latin is to the rest of the human population.

"Yes a party. I want to show you how to live." I give him a wary look that shows all my discomfort with this notion. "Come on! Please! Humor me! The girl who has never been outside the protection of her father, it will be fun!"

"And if it is not fun?"

"Then I will never bother you about doing anything that you don't want to do ever again." He is pleading with me to give this outside world a chance. I would never go to a party ever in my life. My father would never let me go to a party ever in my life. Why did I run away from home then? Among other reasons I ran to see what my father has kept away from me; to experience life and make my own decisions.

Looking back at Nik with those big, blue, pleading eyes, I crack a small smile and cave in.

"Fine lets go party." I say in not the most willing of tones.

"Sweet! You are going to love it!" he exclaims literally jumping up and down flailing his hands in the air. "You won't regret this!" I really hope he is right because this can either go really good or really bad.

"I hate this dress." I inform him for the millionth time.

Nik had insisted that he pick out a dress for me since I didn't have any. I didn't think that, being on the run, I would need a dress, and I didn't own one back in Palm Springs. However, the dress he picked and bought shouldn't even be called a dress. The dress barely covers my butt –and I mean barely! –and it is a dark maroon color that has a back, sleeves, and a high neckline but it is tight beyond belief. I think I would rather have it be backless then this tight because it leaves nothing to the imagination. You know every curve of my body with one glance. I can't help but think everyone is staring at me.

"Well, you look beyond sexy in it, so I don't care, and before you say you think everyone is looking at you, it is because they are. You are sexy and have amazing legs why not show them off. Now let's get out of the car and go into the bar and have some fun. Kay?" Not waiting for me to answer he climbs out of the car and walks over to my door holding out his hand for me.

"_Pull it together!"_ I say to myself and take his hand.

The bar is called Black Midnight, and by the looks of the outside, I would say it hasn't been open for years. But looks can be deceiving and, walking through the back door, I can tell that it is just the opposite. The Black Midnight is a two story building. The first floor has a bar the length of one wall with a ton of people buying drinks and waiters taking drinks all around the dance floor, booths, and upstairs. The rest of the first floor consists of a dance floor surrounded by booths and tables for people to sit at. The lights are down low and the music is blasting. The bass drum literally becomes your heart beat, and you are no longer standing in a bar, you are the bar. From the ceiling there are woman doing acrobatics with silks and circles; skinning fast or almost falling out of the silk all together. This place is a circus.

Nik pulls me over to a booth where he hits a button to call over a waiter.

"What is on the second floor?" I ask transfixed by the craziness that is this new place.

"Oh that is the specialty section. If you want blood from a feeder you go there. They have vampire, witch, damphir, and regular human feeders to satisfy everyone's needs."

Well that doesn't sound pleasant. The waiter appears and I have no idea what to get. I have never been to a bar before. Granted, I am still sixteen and this is all illegal, but let's not dwell on the negatives. Most sixteen year olds have been drunk plenty of times, so I am not really breaking the law. This is a rite of passage that I must take.

"Do you trust me?" Nik asks cutting through my thoughts on whether I could convince a police officer of why I am here.

"Yes." I say whole heartedly.

"Okay we are going to see if you are a lightweight."

Oh dear, what did I just get myself into? What if I get drunk and can't remember what happens? This could be the greatest mistake of my life. Then again, my father struck me, I ran away from home, and befriended a guy I barely knew. Whatever happened next, this was definitely going to be an epic tale.

Well twelve shots of whiskey, two long island ice teas, a bottle of wine, and two bottles of grey goose later, I learned I can hold my liquor like a champ!

"You have a liver made of steel!" Nik comments clearly drunk. Nik is a happy drunk I am learning. Always laughing and saying nice things I am happy that he is the person I chose to share this experience with.

"And sadly, you don't." I comment to him calling the waiter over to place another order.

"Most people, after having this much alcohol, would be passed out. How can you even be standing up right and not a drunken mess?" While I am not as drunk as Nik, I am sure getting there and it is fun! I have never had this much fun in my life.

"My father used to have a drinking problem; he can go through bottles of Russian vodka and not even feel a thing. I guess I get it from him." I decided to order three shots called three strikes and you're out. It sounds good but the face Nik is giving me says that I should stop while I am ahead.

"I think I might be leading you into a drinking problem." He mused smirking at me.

"And why do you say that?" I ask smirking right back at him. He just shakes his head and looks toward the dance floor.

"Let's dance." He commands. I scoot deeper into my seat.

"I don't know how to dance. " I warn him in a quiet voice. It is true that I have never danced in my life, and I wouldn't know how to if you handed me a step-by-step instruction manual on how to dance.

"You're in luck! I am an amazing teacher." He declares taking one of my shots and holding out his hand for me.

Well when in Rome… I down the last two shot then head to the dance floor.

Nik leads me to a secluded area of the dance floor and wraps his arms around my hips bringing me closer.

"Put your arms around my neck." He instructs me, and I do as he says. Then Nik starts to sway to the beat and I follow in suit. Soon there is no room between us, and our bodies are moving in sync to the beat of the bar. His hands move lower testing me, and I pull him closer–if possible–to test his. This is a game of chess for us. Who will break the delicate string of friendship we have created first? I vow that I won't, but I am not sure how far I am willing to go.

Nik spins me around so my back is pressed up against his front. My fingers play in his hair bringing his lips closer and closer to my neck as his fingers play around the skin of my thighs that my dress does not cover.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance?" He breathes into my ears, out of breath.

"You're just a really good teacher." I respond equally out of breath.

"Here you go." Nik says as he places me on the bed. We left the bar around sunset. Somehow, Nik sobered up enough to drive, while I am still highly intoxicated.

"Wait." I call for him before he leaves the room. "You have to tell me your life story. We had a deal." I say in a weak voice. I want to sleep. I just don't know who I will find in my dreams. Nik just smiles softly at me.

"You are right Alyn." He says perched on the edge of this really comfy bed. "I was born to Kylie and Thomas Baker. They are the leaders of a very powerful coven; one that likes to experiment with the rules of society, and see how much they can get away with. That is where I learned everything from reading and writing to combat and magic. My parents kicked me out a few years back because I didn't agree with their life choices. Now, before you feel sorry for me, thinking I have no money. You are quite wrong. When my parents kicked me out, about twenty- five other members followed. To smooth over the waters, my parents give each of us 3,000 dollars a week and bought us this mansion that you are now in. They pay for everything even my car. So I don't revolt against them and take over their entire coven, because if I wanted to, I could. But don't be afraid of me or my people. We are extremely friendly people, and we will protect you as much as we can. You are part of the runaway family now. And you should sleep, because I believe you are going to have a killer hang over in the morning."

Nik kisses the top of my head and tucks me into bed. He is a crazy man but he makes me interesting. He makes me do things I would never do. He helps me shed away the image of Emmalyn Danielle Iskhakov, the straight edge girl who does everything her father says without question, and become Alyn Sage, the lively outgoing girl who does crazy things. Shutting my eyes, I drift off into blissful sleep still believing that I can become Alyn Sage.


	4. The Waiting Game

**A/N: Okay, guys, here is Chapter 4. This one has been written by me. There isn't much I can say about it, other than the fact that it is slightly more boring than Emmalyn side of things. Unfortunately, it will continue to be for a couple more chapters. Hope you enjoy anyway. **

**ADRIAN**

"Anything?" Lissa asks after my fourth attempt to make contact with Emmalyn. She was still asleep, but no matter what I did, I couldn't break that wall down. There were a number of things that could be blocking me, and only a few of them were good.

"Not a thing." I tell Lissa putting my head in my hands. "All I know is that she is still asleep."

"Okay, but that doesn't mean something bad has happened to her, right?" she says. "I mean, we did teach her to block out dream walkers when she was younger. Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to you, yet?"

She's right. We had taught Emmalyn to block spirit users when she was older enough to understand the concept. I was paranoid that Jared would go as far as seeking vampire assistance to get to her. I needed to make sure her mind was safe from attacks like that. I had no idea that she would eventually use it against me. To know she was probably using it against me now, hurt more than I would ever admit to anyone.

"She was only ever supposed to use it when someone unfamiliar was trying to break into head." I argue. "She promised she would never use it on me."

Lissa sighs reaching across the table to put her hand on top of mine.

"That was back when she was still a child, Adrian." She explains. "Back when her daddy meant the world to her, and she couldn't imagine a time when she'd want to keep anything for you. She's a teenager now, and she is very angry with you. You have to expect that she isn't going to want to talk to you."

"So, once again, by trying to protect her, I slit my own throat." I say getting up from the table and going to the counter. I know I need to get some refreshments ready for when the others return, but I couldn't find the will to do anything once I got to the counter.

"No, Adrian." My mother says coming to stand behind me. "You can't think like that. You gave her what she needed to protect herself. That's what's important here."

"But what good is it, if I can't find her before Jared Sage does?" I snap. "Her ability to protect herself from him is only mental. Once he gets his hands on her, she won't be able to do anything to save herself."

"He won't touch her." Lissa growls turning in her chair to face me. "You know, no one out there," she gestures towards the front door. "Is going to let that happen."

"I appreciate that, Lissa, but I learned sixteen years ago how far Jared Sage would go to get what he wants." I tell her. My tone is less than friendly, bordering on hostile. I don't mean to be cruel, but I'm tired and scared and just want to be able to hold my daughter again.

"That's true." Christian says shooting me a warning look. It's nice to see that he's still willing to come to his wife's defense, even against a friend as good as me. "But Rose says that Donna Stanton hasn't seen or heard from Jared Sage since a week after he murdered Sydney. She says they are doing their best to locate him."

I snort.

"Yeah, and knowing Stanton, she will probably locate him, and tell him exactly what's going on in the hopes that he'd take care of Emmalyn for them." I say.

Donna Stanton had been as angered by Sydney's betrayal and disgusted by Emmalyn's existence as the rest of the Alchemists. She didn't like that Jared had used murder to deal with the situation, but she didn't lose any sleep over Sydney's murder and never did anything to punish him for it. She'd probably turn a blind eye to Emmalyn's murder, if it got rid of the problem.

"Believe me, if that girl gets hurt by Jared, and I find out Stanton had anything to do with it, being an accessory to murder and kidnapping will be the least of her worries." Lissa states. "I will make sure she is locked in the highest security prison, surrounded by Moroi and dhampirs. I may even make her a feeder." She shrugs with an evil smile.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?" Christian asks completely shocked by the lack of compassion in her statement.

"Nobody hurts my family, and gets away with it." Lissa replies. "I don't show compassion to those who hurt the ones I love."

"That's nice to hear, Lissa." I say going to the fridge and pulling out the bottle of whiskey that I keep in the back.

Sydney had helped me find other ways to deal with the effects of spirit than being intoxicated—most of those ways involved her being naked—but just like everyone else, alcohol helped me to relax in stressful situations. So I only ever drank enough to take the edge off a situation, and I never drank in front of my daughter. Sydney would've killed me if I ever let Emmy see that side of me.

"But it doesn't change the fact that we don't know where Jared Sage is." I say pulling out a small glass and filling it. "Or how much he knows about what's going on. For all we know, he could've been watching and waiting for something like this to happen."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Lissa says. "I mean, despite their recent lack of good judgment, Mark and Brandon are the best of the best. If someone has been following and watching Emmalyn since you left court, they would've noticed. _You _would've noticed. I think it is safe to assume that he isn't anywhere near California right now and doesn't know what's going on."

"And if that assumption is wrong?"

The ringing of my cell cuts off her answer. I pull my phone out and flip it open without even looking at the caller I.D.

"Emmy?" I say realizing how stupid it sounds a little too late. I knew for a fact that Emmalyn was still asleep.

"I'm sorry, Adrian. It's Jackie." Jackie Terwillinger's voice answers and I let out a disappointed sigh.

"Hi, Jackie." I say walking into the other room. "Did you find her?"

"Unfortunately," she sighs. "It is as we feared. Emmalyn is using magic to cloak herself. I've tried three or four different locator spells, and I've come up with nothing."

"I figured that would be the case." I say. "But isn't using magic supposed to weaken the witch a lot."

I remember the times I went with Sydney to her training session. After each one, Sydney needed to eat a lot of the unhealthy food she detested and take a nap. Surely, Emmalyn would have to eventually drop the magic to get her strength back.

"In normal cases, yes, but your daughter is not a normal case, Adrian." She answers.

"What do you mean?"

"Magic runs on both sides of Emmalyn's family." Jackie explains. "Yes, Sydney was the one with the magic more natural to witches, but your vampire powers give her a boost most other witches do not have. That's why she's so much more advanced at this age than Sydney was."

"I thought you said that's because I didn't teach her to shun her gift."

"That has a lot to do with it, but it is also the amount of power she carries in her blood. Yes, Sydney had potential to be a great witch, but Emmalyn; she could blow the Earth to pieces with one simple incantation."

"So you're saying there's no hope of finding her with magic, then." I state.

"Yes, but I'm also saying not to worry too much about her." Jackie answers, and I can hear the affection and pride in her voice. "If Sydney's father gets his hands on her, she could blow him to pieces in a way that would make Sydney proud and probably very scared."

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face at the memories her words invoke. Once Sydney decided she was going to seriously study magic, she worked hard training and learning everything Jackie had to teach her, and always had this glow of pride about her when she mastered something. Yet, she was still terrified of most of it. It was funny to watch her react to the things she could do.

"Thanks, Jackie." I say. "That does make me feel a little better." And it's true. Hearing that my daughter won't be completely helpless against Jared put me a little at ease, but I wouldn't be completely happy until I she was home. "But I need her here with me before I can completely relax."

"I understand. Look, there are a few stronger spells that I could try." She tells me. "I'll be in touch."

"Thank you, Jackie."

"And Adrian, my coven loves that girl as much as you. We are all praying to the Goddess for her safe return."

"Thank you, that means a lot." I sigh and flip my phone shut.

I take a deep breath to avoid putting my fist through the wall before walking back into the kitchen.

""What was that about?" My mom asks handing me my still full glass of whiskey.

"Good news, bad news." I answer taking a long drink and ignoring the burn as it slides down my throat.

"I think we could all use a little good news right now." Lissa prompts.

"Magically, Emmalyn can hold her own against Jared Sage." I explain. "According to Jackie, the fact that she has magic in both sides of DNA makes her a stronger witch than even Sydney had the potential to be."

"And the bad news?" Christian presses.

"For that same reason, it is easier for her to cloak herself from Jackie's locator spells." I down what's left in my glass and reach for the bottle, again. Mom swipes it off the counter before I can get my hands around it.

"One's enough." She says. "Sydney worked hard to break you of this, and I won't let the work be for nothing. Besides, your daughter needs you sober and coherent."

I sigh and place the glass in the sink. She's right. I couldn't let this one stressful situation force me back into old habits, especially those old habits. Emmalyn had already lost a mother, I wouldn't let this cause her to lose a good father.

"Thanks, Mom."

She nods and takes the bottle into the other room.

"I'm going to hide this, just in case."

I roll my eyes, but don't say anything. She is doing what she can to help, and I'm not about to complain about that.

The opening and slamming of the front door causes all of us to forget about the liquor and go running into the living room. Mikhail and Sonya are waiting for us. The looks on their faces as they stand there holding hands tells me that I'm not going to like what they have to say.

"It's bad news, isn't it?" I ask.

"Not necessarily, but we'd be lying if we said it was good." Mikhail answers with a sigh.

"I'm listening." I say.

Lissa and my mom are on either side of me. Lissa puts a hand on my shoulder in silent comfort while mom slips her hand into mine. I know Emmalyn isn't dead because I just spent two hours trying to break into her dreams, but I'm dreading whatever it is the two of them have to say. It is obvious Kelly didn't know where Emmalyn was, or Mikhail and Sonya would be jumping for joy.

"First, let me be the one to tell you, Emmalyn chooses her friends well." Sonya says moving to sit on the couch. "Kelly was adamant that she didn't know anything until I compelled her. Turns out, she knew a lot."

"Did she know where Emmy was going?" I ask, even though, I already know the answer.

"No." Sonya shakes her head. "Kelly said that Emmalyn refused to give those details, because she knew you could make Kelly tell her anything. But she did know a couple things that might be helpful."

"Like?" My mom presses pulling me over to sit beside Sonya on the couch.

"Not reporting her car stolen was a good idea." Sonya explains. "According to Kelly, Emmalyn sold it for as much money as she could get."

"That doesn't surprise me." I say. "It's the first thing Sydney would've done."

"And you might want to take Dimitri's advice and cancel her credit cards. According to Kelly, Emmalyn was going to give them to the first homeless guy she met. She plans on living off the money she made from selling the car until she figures things out."

"Again, exactly what Sydney would've done." I growl. "Why didn't I see this coming? She's so much like her mother. I should've guessed that she would have everything planned out. I should've known she'd be long gone before I could find her. Damn it!"

I kick the leg of the still overturned coffee table. It breaks and flies across the room. I take a few deep breaths trying to remind myself that dramatics will not help in this situation, but it's difficult. I need my daughter home and I need her home now.

"She might still be in California, Adrian." Mikhail says.

"No, she's not." I say. "Like her mother, she would've taken the money she got from the car and got on the first plane out of here. She could be anywhere."

"But maybe we can narrow it down." Christian says an excited gleam in his eyes. "She's like Sydney, right?"

"Yes."

"So ask yourself, what would Sydney do?" He continues. "If it was Sydney running, who would she run to? Where would she go?"

"I don't know." I tell him. "I mean, when we were in Palm Springs, she always ran to me when she had a problem. Even when we were just friends. And when she was running from her feelings from me, she lost herself in work, magic, and school. She could never leave Palm Springs because of her orders."

"Is there anyone, other than you, she would've gone to?" Lissa presses.

"I don't know." I say trying to remember a time when she would go to someone else for help. "Jill's the only one who comes to mind. I mean, she was the only one who knew everything I did about Sydney."

"Okay." Lissa says. "We'll talk more about this later, but I want you to go get some rest first."

"I couldn't sleep, even if I wanted to." I argue.

"I know." She walks over to the large bag she brought from court. She unzips one of the tiny pockets and pulls out a small vial of clear liquid. "That's why I brought this." She places it in my hand curling my fingers around it. "It is an Alchemist potion that Sydney taught Rose and I to make when she found out about Dimitri's nightmares. It allows the drinker to have a peaceful night's sleep. I want you to take it."

"No." I shake my head shoving it back at her. "I am not going to bed until I know that my daughter is safe."

"You can't keep going like this Adrian. You've been awake for over twenty four hours. If you don't get some rest, you gonna end up sick. Do you think Emmalyn would want that? Besides, we need to be ready if Jared decides to make an appearance. If you aren't up to your full strength, it won't do Emmalyn any good."

I open my mouth to argue, but mom places her hand on my shoulder.

"She's right, dear." Mom whispers. "You need to rest. Just take the potion, and rest. We'll wake you if anything else happens."

I know they are right, but it is hard to just go to sleep when my daughter is out in the world with no one to protect her from evil that could be lurking around any corner.

"Fine." I say uncorking the vial and downing the whole thing. "But I want to know the second we learn something new."

"Absolutely." Mom says. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."

The potion has already started kicking in as she leads me to my room. I don't even bother taking off my clothes as she pulls the covers back. I crawl into the bed and close my eyes.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll find her, I promise."

Mom whispers before the potion takes full effect, and I fall into the beautiful blackness of a dreamless sleep.


	5. Dreams and Schemes

**A/N: So here I chapter 5 written by the amazing . **

**NIK**

"Dude, where have you been?" One of the guys asks me as I leave Alyn's—my—room.

Shrugging, I go to the kitchen to find food. We were up to some intense spells before I left. That and partying with Alyn has left me starving. It was amazing that we even had food in the house—with twenty teen warlocks living there. The fact that the kitchen is completely stocked all the time is just mind blowing.

"Who's the girl?" Nate, my best friend, asks me. Looking up from my burger and fries, I just give him a shrug. If the boys found out who she is, I would be in deep shit. Keeping her a secret from everyone is a must as of right now.

"Just a girl I met at Black Midnight." I utter at the same time I am stuffing my face with more food. I don't really know what to be more concerned about: the fact that if Alyn was discovered that it would end her life or how amazing my burger tastes. It's like it has been sent from God for my enjoyment.

"Don't try and bullshit me." He says taking the seat next to me, and dropping his voice to a whisper he asks "She's _the _girl, isn't she?" Giving him the slightest of nods, I continue to eat.

I have heard of this girl all my life. I am supposed to be on the lookout for her, and if I do find her then I am suppose to make a call. But seeing her now, I just wouldn't bring myself to do it. It could be that she is completely innocent, and I like corrupting innocence, or it could her refusal to back down. She has an I-will-do-whatever-I-want-and-if-you-don't- like-it-then-tough-shit attitude. She is so different from every girl I have ever met. She interests me to no end.

"Dude, what are we waiting for?! If we call then your…" I put up my hand to stop him from finishing that sentence.

I know what is at stake until we turn her in; everyday is a constant reminder of what I have lost. Hell, what the entire coven has lost, but today with her was the first time I stopped hurting. I don't know how I will feel with everything back to normal so why not enjoy this little shred of happiness that life has given me.

"Don't. We are not going there. I understand why we are in this situation better than most people. I know what we could get back if we turn her in; however, I think there is more to her than we've been told. I want to get to know her before I turn her in. I am not saying we won't. It will just be later. Okay?" I say to Nate with a note of finality. For all intense and purposes, I am the leader of this coven. It is my family blood that started it so whatever I say goes. Nate has a hard time remembering that fact.

"Whatever man, as long as we do turn her in. This has been way too long of a mission for me." With that Nate gets up and leaves me with my thoughts.

I will turn her in, but there is something about this girl that I cannot get out of my head. So before she dies, I would like to know what makes her so damn special! Why does she make me act like a teenager? I am twenty year old man leading a powerful coven of teenage boys. I should not be thinking about the sexy sixteen year old girl sleeping in my bed. I should not want to keep her around. I should just be done with her right? I sigh remembering her smile, and the way she felt against me while we danced. Yeah, she won't be leaving my side of awhile. Throwing away my mess, I close my eyes and hope she is having sweet dreams.

**ALYN**

I am not one to cuss; honestly that is not who I am. I feel like there are plenty of words in the English vocabulary that you don't need cuss words at all to describe how you feel. I know a plethora of words to describe anything and every situation. but what sentence came out of my mouth when I realized I had been sucked into a spirit dream with my Aunt Lissa?

"Son of a bitch!" I shout as the dream materializes around me. I am back home in our living room sitting on the ugliest plaid couch I have ever seen. Dad never told me why he has it, but he refuses to throw it out even though it's like a hundred years old. I always assumed it had something to do with mom.

"Well, I never took you as one to cuss." Lissa tells me sitting across from me on my favorite love seat. She looks as poise and collected as ever with her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders and green eyes sad but hopeful. She is wearing black pants, a red top, and black boots. All of which I am sure are extremely expensive and the money spent on that outfit could possibly buy a small house. Oh, the advantages of being queen.

"I am not usually but being pulled into a spirit dream isn't something I am used to seeing as I have my blocks up all the time." I inform her, in case she has somehow forgotten that I am not supposed to be here.

"That is true. So why could I reach you when your father couldn't?" She muses. I shrug and relax against the couch as stares at my aura.

I find myself wondering the same thing, though. How could she get in my mind? I learned a long time ago how to block out spirit dreams and any magic trying to get into my mind. I stayed on the straight and narrow because even a minor distraction could lead to people being able to use magic against my mind. I could tell my aunt is thinking the same thing.

How is this happening? My dad constantly warned me about never doing drugs because that weakens my mental capacity to block people. Another thing that weakens my mental state is drinking. I have never had the desire to drink until today; when I got rip roaring drunk.

At the same time I realize this so does Aunt Lissa. Shooting up at lightening fast speeds, she yells at me "YOU HAVE BEEN DRINKING!?"

I don't know how I should feel about her knowing my dirty little secret because she will no doubt inform my father and if I get caught then I will never be allowed to see daylight ever again.

"Maybe." I tell her while I try and think of a less bad thing that would have led to be not being able to block.

"That's it young lady. Do you know what your father has been going through since you have run away? He doesn't sleep and barely eats. We are all worried about you! Don't you care at all what you are putting your father through?"

For some reason when Aunt Lissa lays on the guilt trip, I just lose it. I have been holding in so much emotion for most of my life that my Aunt blaming me for everything my dad is going through just sends me over the edge.

"Right. What my father is going through. Not what I have been suffering through for all my life." I spit back in her facing standing up to look her in the eye.

"You have been given a great life. We all love you and your father has provided a stable environment for you to grow up in. If your mother was here she would be disappointed in you."

"Really? She would be disappointed in me? Because last time I checked I knew NOTHING about her. No one ever talks about her. No one tells me anything about her. For all I know, she is still alive in Cuba somewhere. Everyone acts like she doesn't exist but when I want a bit of freedom, or a chance at a normal life that's when people allude to me having a mother. 'It's because of your mother's' death' is the excuse I get for why I am not allowed to be normal! I bet my father doesn't even care about me most days. I swear he only sees mom when he looks at me. He never hears me, and he never thinks about what I want. I bet if he could he would trade me for mom any day. So don't talk about what my father is going through and don't bring my mother into this. You are not my mother nor my parent so why don't you just leave me alone. I am happy! I am seeing the world and having fun. For once I am having a normal life. So don't ruin this for me!"

With all my might I force the dream to end.

Shooting up in bed I realize, I have broken out into a cold sweat with tears running down my face. Hastily, I wipe them away trying to regain some class and composure from yelling at my aunt. It really isn't her fault, and I love her to death. It just makes me so angry when everyone thinks they can just guilt me into doing something by pulling my dead mother into conversations.

"Hey, you're supposed to be asleep." Nik says in the doorway giving me a slight grin. He has a glass of water and aspirin in his hands, which he graciously walks over and gives to me. A hangover and a spirit dream make for the worst headaches.

"Bad dream." I say taking the pills and water. I drink the water greedily until it's all gone.

"Want to talk about it?" Nik offers, setting the glass on the table. He is really sweet.

"No, not at all." I declare. Looking around the room, I see that there is barely anything in it. Against the far wall there is a desk with a Mac book on it, a dresser on the wall across from the door, and across from the desk is the bed. No pictures or books. It doesn't even look like someone lives here.

"So whose room is this?" I ask curiosity getting the better of me.

"Mine." Nik says looking around the room and answering the unspoken questions that linger in the air. "I have a room back at my parent's house that has all that sentimental crap all over the walls and ceiling. I have movie posters that cover every square inch of the walls. I have an overflow of movies all over the floor and in piles by my bed. I am a huge movie buff. I love directing them, and watching them, and sometimes writing them. God, I miss that room." He says leaning on his elbows at the foot of this bed. I remember hazily that he told me his parents kicked him out because he didn't agree with what they were doing. Sometimes, I wished my father would have just kicked me out; life would be so much easier that way.

"Hey how old are you?" I ask. I don't want to be travelling around the country with a thirty year old pervert. I guess I should have asked him that before.

"18 and yourself." He asks me nudging my foot with his elbow.

That action made break out in laughter before answering the question "16."

"Did I tickle you?" he asks raising one of his eyebrows.

"Noooo" I tell him, slowly moving my feet closer to me but not before he reaches out with crazy speed and grabs both of my feet ticking them. I burst out in full on laughter. I try kicking him, but to no avail. He keeps tickling my feet.

"You are ticklish!" He laughs evilly.

I breathe out before bursting out in laughter as well. Nik is strong and crazy fast. With one hand still holding onto my feet, he uses the other to tickle my legs! Soon, he has me thrashing around like a crazy person on his bed trying to make him stop tickling my whole body. He just laughs and continues this weird game that neither of us will win.

"Stop!" I whine as I am pressed up against his chest practically in his lap.

The mood in the room changes instantly, and I am aware of everything about him. The way his shirt hugged every single muscle of his amazingly toned body. The way his blue yet purple eyes shone so brightly it is hypnotizing. How his jaw seems to be chiseled out of stone and his lips were perfect in shape and size. But the strangest part was how safe and at home I felt in his impossibly strong arms. I could sit here in his arms staring at him and never feel more content, but at the same I want to push him.

I want to do something reckless and something I would never do in a million years. _Wasn't drinking out of character enough? _ No, not when I am sitting in Nik's lap inches away from taking this to the next step. Just like being back at the bar dancing with him. I could lose myself in how this feels. In how being with him feels.

"Are you sure about that?" Nik asks me.

I can see that whatever is affecting me is affecting him too. I don't want him to stop. I want to test the waters of this new bazaar feeling, but my conversation with my aunt hits me like a bucket of ice cold water and all I want is to get far away from my family. I want to be away from all their energy and what they think I should be doing. I hate them.

"We need to leave now." I say in response to his question. Nik looks a bit startled by my quick change in subject, but a smirk replaces the previous emotion as his arms get tighter around my waist, as if worried I would leave without him.

"Where do you want to go?" he asks.

His voice light and playful but his eyes—those hypnotic eyes—keep me at a loss for words. All I want is to freeze time, and see where we can go; however, if we stay here even for one more hour then I know they will find me and drag me back to hell. This is my only shot at freedom, and I will not blow it because of a guy.

"We are going to Vegas." I say mischief coloring my voice as I begin to move off of him and collect my bags. Nik throws a bunch of clothes, his Mac book, and charger into a bag while following me down the stairs into the cool night air.

We take off in his black charger in hopes that Vegas will hold something new for us.

"Wake up, we are at the house." Nik says shaking me lightly. I fell asleep about twenty minutes into the drive—this time without any bad dreams. Nik told me that his father owns a small house in the desert about twenty minutes away from Vegas. That way no one could track either of us on our adventure across America.

When I asked him if his dad would be okay with us staying here, he gave a tight nod before changing the subject. I guess his dad is a touchy subject; I can relate.

"Awesome." I tell him giving him a small smile. I stretch before getting out of the car. The air was hot and dry; nothing like San Diego. For a second I missed the weather back there, but then I remember who lived not too far away and became increasingly happy that I was now in Vegas.

The house was a small one story in the middle of the desert. To call it a house is a major stretch, but it will work as a hide out. There is a small kitchen big enough for two people to be in it at the same time, one small bathroom, and a living room–if you call a small TV and a mattress as a couch a living room—and a small bedroom big enough for the queen size bed and that's it. It will be a tight squeeze, but we will make due.

"So I will have to go into town later for food. Seeing as we might be here for more than one night. Also, the house gets pretty hot because of the lack of air conditioning and installation, but at night you will be surprised at how cold it gets. I recommend wearing the least amount of clothes possible while we are in the desert." Rolling my eyes I throw my bag on the bed.

"Of course you would recommend that." I call out to Nik, who is already looking around the kitchen to see what is there, I bet he is hungry. The way Nik talks about food, you would swear he worships it, or at least believes in a food god. He needs help.

"I meant that in the least suggestive meaning possible." He says coming up behind me and squirting mustard in his mouth. I swear he is the grossest man alive.

"That's disgusting." I inform him pointing to the mustard in his hand. "And sure you did. But before we get into an argument about what you meant I need your help with something."

"Firstly, mustard never goes bad, and I am starving! Secondly, we don't know each other well enough for you to assume we would start fighting…"

"Am I wrong?" I ask interrupting his list making.

"No but it is the principle of the thing, and finally what do you need now?"

I roll my eyes at him, but take out my photo album flipping to the page with her picture on it.

"We are going to do a spell to find her." I tell him with nothing but utter confidence in our ability to do this.

"Who is she?" Nik asks questioning my sanity at the same time as my judgment.

"She is my Aunt Zoe." I declare a bright smile forming on my face.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review and remember to send some love to , the mastermind behind Alyn, Nik, and their grand adventure. **


	6. Painful Realizations

**A/N: This chapter has been written by me. There's really not much to say about it, except that Adrian sleeps for over twelve hours. I think that's about it. **

**ADRIAN**

I don't know how long I sleep before someone starts shaking me awake. Although, I notice from behind my lids, my room has gotten much darker since my mom tucked me in.

"Adrian, wake up. Come on." Jill's voice continues to permeate my attempts to stay asleep. It was peaceful there. I didn't have to think about the mess my life had become, or the fact that my daughter hated me. "Come on, Adrian." Jill shakes me a little harder. "You said you wanted us to let you know when we found out something, so wake up."

Those words are enough to make me open my eyes. Jill's standing above me with her bright attempt at a smile. She's got the adorable twinkle of admiration in her eyes that I had grown accustomed to. You know the one a little girl gets when looking at her big brother.

"Hey, Jailbait." I whisper pushing myself up. "When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago." She answers with a shrug. "Eddie couldn't handle my pacing, so he told me to come back, and he would handle everything until Nancy was able to return."

I nod feeling guilty that my problems were keeping Jill from her family. After nearly two decades, I was beginning to understand why Lissa and Rose sometimes resented their bond. There was never any privacy from Jill on my part, but she had to deal with all of my emotions as if they were her own. It was difficult for both of us.

"Stop with the guilt, Adrian." She sighs. "Emmalyn is my goddaughter and unofficial niece. I wouldn't be able to stay away, even if we weren't bonded."

I nod again, but only partially believe her words

"So did you guys really find out something, or was that just a desperate attempt to wake me up?" I ask.

"No, we really do have an update for you. A few actually." She answers matter-of-factly. "But first you need to talk to Zoe."

"She called?" I ask hope bubbling inside me. She was probably simply returning my phone calls, but there was a small possibility that Emmalyn had managed to find her. I didn't know for sure if that's where she would go, but it seemed to make sense that she would seek out Sydney's family, seeing as she wasn't too happy with mine right now.

"Yes. Rose is talking to her right now. She doesn't know when she we be able to contact you again, so you should get out there now."

"Thanks." I say getting out of bed without even straightening my clothes or checking myself in the mirror. Getting to the phone was more important than not embarrassing myself in front of my friends and family.

When I open the door, I am shocked by how quiet the house is. The search parties should've returned by now. I mean, our neighbor isn't that big. Surely it would take less than twelve hours for them to finish the search.

As I make my way down the stairs and through the living room to the kitchen, I realize the parties have returned. Most of them are just passed out on my floor or couch.

Rose is sitting at the kitchen with Dimitri, Christian, Lissa, and my mom. She looks like she might be arguing with Zoe as I approach her and hold my hand out for the phone.

"Well, you can fight it out with him, because I'm certainly not going to be the one to tell him." She sighs. "Here he is."

I wonder what exactly that was about as I take the phone from Rose and lean against the counter. There's no point in going to another room. I'd end up telling everyone at the table everything. Better they hear everything now, so I don't have to repeat myself.

"Thank God, Zoe." I breathe into the phone only just realizing how grateful I am for the call. "I didn't think that I would ever get a hold of you guys."

"I'm sorry." She replies. "We were in the middle of a move, which meant we had to get new phones and all that other stuff. But that's not important. Rose tells me that Emmalyn ran away, and you guys can't find her."

"Yes." I say. "And to make matters worse, the Alchemists have no idea where your father is."

"Jared Sage stopped being my father the day he killed my sister." Zoe growls. "He's means nothing to me anymore, but I understand the problem. What do you want me to do?"

"There isn't much you can do. Other than, coming to California and helping us to hunt her down, but I know how dangerous that is for you. She hasn't tried to contact you at all, has she?"

"No, but from what Rose tells me, it won't be long before she does."

"What do you mean?"

"It sounds to me like she left because she was sick of leading a sheltered life."

I open my mouth to argue, but she cuts me off.

"I know you were just trying to protect her, but she's sixteen, now. That's not the life she wants anymore. She's looking for adventure and fun. I have no doubt she thinks she can find it with us. I expect to hear from her or see her soon. And when I do, you will be the first to know."

"If you're so sure she'll show just tell me where you are, so I can meet her there."

"No, I'll call you when she turns up. We can decide what to do from there."

"Damn it, Zoe, I am her father. I have a right to know where she is."

"And if she ends up here, you will know, but not before." She says with a sigh.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because, I have a good idea of how she feels right now. Growing up with Jared Sage was a nightmare, and I often wished I had a family member that I could runaway to. Emmalyn has that, and I hope she has enough trust in me to come to me. I won't break that before she's even had a chance to test it." She explains.

"First of all, do not compare me to Jared Sage." I growl at her. "I would never hurt my baby the way he hurt Sydney just because she disagreed with my way of life. And second…"

I trail off because, in all honesty, I don't have a second argument for what she just said. Emmalyn does deserve to have someone to go to who would stop and listen to what she had to say. Besides, I don't want to bring her home kicking and screaming, I want her to want to come home, and if spending time with her aunt was going to help with that, could I really complain?

"I did not mean it like that, Adrian." Zoe sighs. "But what you have been doing to Emmalyn for the last sixteen years is exactly like what he used to do to me and my sisters. The only difference is: He was trying to control us, and you just want to protect Emmalyn. But you can't protect her forever, Adrian, especially now that she is becoming a young woman."

"I know." I sigh pinching the bridge of my nose. "And I understand that she needs time away from me. I just need to know where she is, and that she's safe."

"I know." Zoe answers sadly. "And I will tell you if she shows up. You can decide what to do from there, but you know she'll always be safe with Marcus and me, right?"

"Yes, I know. Despite our history," I say laughing at the jealousy his relationship with Sydney had spurred in me. "I'd trust your husband with my life."

In fact, I did just that when Sydney first discovered she was pregnant. We had to get from Palm Springs to the Royal Court without using public transportation. Sydney had already been marked as a traitor and the Alchemists were hunting for her. Our group hid her as best we could, but when she discovered her pregnancy, we had to get her to the protection of Lissa.

Unfortunately, the Alchemists were watching the airports, and train/bus stations, we had to travel in stolen cars hiding with his most trusted of Marcus's traitor Alchemists. I put my faith in him then, and he came through for me. I now have no doubts in him.

"Good." Zoe says. "I will keep you updated."

"Thank you, Zoe."

"We're family, Adrian. Taking care of each other is what we do. Not thank you is necessary."

I smile slightly into the phone amazed at how much faith Sydney's sisters and mother still had in me. They never once blamed me for Sydney's murder and still considered me their family. They helped me when I needed it and loved Emmalyn as much as they loved each other.

"All the same, I appreciate everything."

"Right. I gotta go. I'll be in touch. And Emmalyn will be fine."

"I hope so." I sigh pressing the disconnect button.

I look up to see everyone, including Jill, staring up at me with concerned expressions. They had only heard my part of the conversation, but I was sure they all understood enough to know Zoe's part.

"She seems to think that Emmalyn will want to spend some time with her, Marcus and their rogues. She will let me know if Emmy does show up, and we will decide what to do from there." I explain.

"Good." Lissa said with a nod. "We will, of course, continue to look for her until we hear from Zoe." I nod and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"How long was I sleeping?"

"Nearly fourteen hours." Mom answered with a sweet smile. "As you've probably noticed, the search parties returned about eight hours ago. They had nothing to report. We used your extra sheets and pillows to make beds for everyone."

I nod.

"But Jill said you guys had an update for me, though."

"We do." Lissa answers. "But maybe you should sit." She gestures to the only empty chair left in the kitchen. "This isn't going to be pretty."

I do as she said suddenly afraid of what she had to say. I could tell by the looks on their faces that Emmalyn wasn't hurt or dead, but there was something else going on.

Lissa sighs.

"While you were sleeping, I took over trying to break into Emmalyn's dreams." She explains. "And it was pretty bad."

"What happened?" I ask. I was pretty sure I knew what was coming, though. She was going to tell me that my little girl hated me and didn't want to ever come home. Jill reaches over and puts a hand on my shoulder. Sometimes it was nice to have someone who always knew what you were feeling

"I tried to tell her what her actions were doing to her and the rest of us, and she yelled at me, a lot." Lissa explains. "Needless to say, I wasn't successful in convincing her to come home, but her rant was very enlightening.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

She's got a lot of rage inside her, Adrian, and it's about so much more than what happened the other night. I'm assuming that was just what pushed her over the edge."

"Explain."

"Is it true you never talk to her about Sydney?"

"No. We talk about Sydney all the time. I tell her…"

I trail off because I realize the words aren't true. Emmalyn and I have never actually had a conversation about her mother. Unless you count the number of times in a day, I have to remind Emmy why she has to be so heavily guarded. She knows all the details of her mother's death by the hands of her grandfather, but that's it.

I never told her how Sydney's smile could light up my darkest day. Or how her mother was the most beautiful creature to have ever lived and Emmalyn looked just like her. I never told her how brave, loyal, and smart her mother was. Or how Sydney would always stand up for the things she believed in, even if it hurt her.

I told her nothing of our time in Palm Springs and how we become friends and fell in love. I didn't even mention how hard I had to fight to get Sydney to let go and just feel.

I shake my head and a let out a hysterical snort.

"I tell her how and why her mother died every day in an attempt to get her to understand why I'm so protective." I say.

"I was afraid of that." Lissa says.

"I never realized that before." I explain. "I never meant for that to be the case. I promised myself and Sydney that our baby would know her. I always said that I would tell Emmalyn anything she wanted to know about her mother. And I didn't. I just didn't. Why didn't I?"

"It's hard." Rose whispered. "I remember when I thought I lost Dimitri." She takes his hand, but continues to look at me. "Just thinking about him hurt, and I didn't even try to talk about him until I met his family." She smiles at a memory. "When I told them what he had become, they had a sort of funeral service, and since they inferred enough about our relationship, I was considered his widow. It was my job to tell them stories about the last days of his life. It was hard, even with several shots of Russian vodka, but when I was finished, I realized I felt so much better. Yes, it still hurt, but it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders."

"The same was true for when I lost my parents and brother." Lissa says. "Talking can't bring your loved ones back, but it can help you hold them closer to your heart. And, in Emmalyn's case, it is the only way she is going to learn about her mother."

"I know." I whisper looking at my hands. "It's just hard because I shouldn't have to tell her about her mother. Her mother should be here with her. And every time I think about that, I remember that it's my fault Emmalyn doesn't have a mother."

"Adrian, no." Rose shakes her head, releases Dimitri hand, and throws her arms around me. "That's not true, at all. Jared Sag is the reason Emmalyn doesn't have a mother, not you. He's the one who killed her."

"Because of she fell in love with me. Because I wouldn't accept the reasons she couldn't have a relationship with me. It is my fault." I argue.

"No." Mom says in her no arguments voice. "You both deserved to be happy. I believe that, and if Jared Sage was a good father, he would've believed that too. Besides, Sydney knew the consequences of her actions, but she chose to be with you anyway. So, it isn't anyone's fault, but that sorry excuse for a man's."

"Maybe one day, I will believe that." I say.

Lissa sighs.

"There's one more thing you should know." The sadness in her tone tells me that she feels horrible for having to say this now. "She thinks that you would trade her for her mother if you could."

My heart drops into my stomach and I stare at Lissa in disbelief. How could my daughter possibly think that? She was my world and has been since the day she was born. I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head.

"That is not true. Yes, I would give anything to have Sydney back, but I would not trade Emmalyn for anything. She's my whole world. I love her more than anything in this world."

"Have you ever told her that?" Rose asks.

"I tell her that I love her all the time."

Lissa nods.

"You two have a lot to work out when get her home." She says. "Adrian you need to tell her about her mother and show her how you feel. She needs to know that she's not just a museum piece that you are trying to preserve because she's the only thing you have left of Sydney. She's your daughter and she needs to know that you love her, even though her mother's gone."

"I know." I respond. "But none of that will do us any good if we can't find her."

"Right. We just need a direction." Lissa says pondering. "We're pretty sure she'll be looking for Zoe, but where would she go until she get a plan. A hotel maybe?"

"Wait a minute, Lis." Jill says. "You said you were able to get into her dream. That means her defense were down. Why?"

Lissa sighs. I got the feeling that she was trying to avoid telling me this part.

"She was drinking." She says looking at me with concern in her eyes.

The words bounce of the walls of my brain for a minute as I try to process them. My baby girl was drinking, and I didn't know how I felt about that. True, it was something all sixteen year-olds experimented with. But those sixteen year olds didn't have someone like me in their blood. I had a real problem with drinking, and if it wasn't for Sydney, I'd probably be the worst kind of alcoholic. I didn't want Emmalyn to fall down that path. It was something that seemed really likely because of what she was going through right now.

"We need to find her, before this gets too far." I say. "I don't want her to turn into me before I met Sydney."


	7. New Direction

**A/N: So I've gotten a couple reviews about maybe finding a way to bring Sydney back and reuniting her with her family. I hate to disappoint you guys, but it isn't going to happen. This story was never going to be about Sydney and Adrian. It is about a girl experiencing life for the first time, and a father learning to let his daughter grow up and be who she is. **

**I'm sorry to all those fans out there who wanted to see some Sydrian feels, but there aren't going to be any. There may be a few flashbacks here and there but, as I said, this story was never about Sydrian. **

**Also, I know everyone is probably getting sick of Adrian and company just sitting around talking, that will stop in this chapter. The group will actually start actively looking for Emmalyn in this chapter. **

**Finally, this chapter is again written by me. There are a few more things Adrian needs to discover before we bounce back to Alyn and Nik. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**ADRIAN**

"Emmalyn is a sixteen year-old runaway," Rose paces the kitchen. "With a limited amount of cash and is presumably alone. So, the question is, how did she get access to alcohol?"

"Obviously, she didn't take it from the house." I state. "I only keep that one bottle of whiskey in the back of the fridge for times like these."

"Okay, so what we need to do is figure out where they would serve an underage girl without batting an eyelash." Lissa says rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"I doubt any of the bars in California would be willing to serve her." Mom says from her corner of the kitchen. "They'd be too worried about losing their liquor license."

"But what if it wasn't a human bar?" I asked as a memory of one of the few actual dates Sydney and I went on hit me hard.

"What do you mean a human bar?" Lissa asks. The confusion in her tone reminds me of how sheltered she had always been, even after being queen of the vampires for nearly twenty years. She was nearly forty years old and had never heard of supernatural bars. I wasn't sure if I should be proud or disappointed.

"There are bars exclusive for supernatural creatures all over the world, Lis." Christian explains. "I figured, as queen, you would've heard of them by now."

"As queen, I have more important things to worry about, than bars." She argues.

"True. Anyway, these bars cater to all kinds of creatures. Vampires, lycanthropes, witches/warlocks, hunters of all these creatures, even alchemists are welcome. The only rule is that there is no fighting allowed on the premises. Once someone is on the property, they have sanctuary." Christian continues to explain while I wrack my brain trying to remember the name of the bar Sydney and I visited all those years ago.

"But wouldn't they have to follow human rules in order to keep their licenses?" Lissa asks.

"Not necessarily." Dimitri answers. "As long as no one causes trouble, they get left alone. Besides, most supernatural creatures have a higher tolerance for alcohol than your average human. They pay less attention to age because usually those under 21 who go into the bars are responsible enough to not go overboard."

"Okay, so are there any of those bars in California?" Lissa asks.

"Yes." I say. "In San Diego. Sydney and I went there once. I can't remember the name of it, though. Something Midnight, I think?"

"Black Midnight?" Jill asks.

I look her with raised eyebrows. The second she says it, I know she is right. I just don't like the fact that she knows the name of a bar. Yes, she maybe in her thirties with children, but she will always be little 15 year-old Jailbait to me; a sweet little girl who has no business going to a bar.

"What?" She asks holding her hands up in surrender. "Just because we're married and have kids don't mean Eddie and I can't go out and have a good time every now and then. Besides, how can I forget the place you and Sydney…"

"Okay, I get your point." I cut her off. I was perfectly aware our visit to that particular bar was the first night Sydney and I had sex. I didn't need her to drag the memory into clearer view than it already was. More importantly, I didn't need her to announce mine and Sydney's personal business to our friends.

"Sorry." She said having the decency to look embarrass.

"Back to the point, I'm pretty sure Black Midnight is the only supernatural bar in California." I say to Lissa.

"Alright then." Lissa claps her hands together. "Why don't we pay them a visit and ask some questions, then we'll figure out where to go from there."

"Okay, but there are a few things Dimitri and I need to arrange first." Rose says moving to stand beside Dimitri. "I know it would be incredibly stupid of me to request that you and Christian stay here."

"You're right about that." Lissa says crossing her arms over her chest. "My niece is out there somewhere. I'm not gonna sit on my butt while the rest of you are out there searching for her."

"I didn't expect you to." Rose says. "That's why you need to change into something a little less conspicuous. Obviously, vampires will realize the queen is out and about, but we don't want to draw too much attention to it. And Dimitri, I want you to go wake up Mikhail, Brandon, and Mark. Tell them we need them to go with us to protect the queen. Also, wake Sonya, ask her if she minds going to babysit Eddie Jr. and Mason while Eddie comes with us." She looks to Jill with and apologetic smile. "I know it is a lot to ask, but there is no one, other than myself and Dimitri, of course, that I trust more with the safety of you, Lissa, and Christian."

"Of course." Jill answers. "I know he'd be more than happy to help."

"I'll be right back then." Dimitri nods and heads off to wake the others.

"I'll give Eddie a call and let him know what's going on." Jill says pulling out her phone and heading into another room.

"Lissa, jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes. Go." Rose orders. Lissa rolls her eyes but does as she's told. "Lady Ivashkov?" Rose continues looking toward my mother.

"Rose, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Daniella?" Mom says politely.

"Sorry, Daniella." Rose blushes crimson. "I don't think we will need the others anymore. I doubt Emmalyn would risk returning to this area. Would you please make sure that everyone gets on a plane back to court?"

"Of course." Mom answers. "I'll take care of all the arrangements."

"Thank you." Rose says. "I'm going to go help Dimitri get the others organized." She heads to the kitchen leaving me alone with my mom.

"You should probably head back to court too, Mom." I say to her. "Dad will probably be coming back from his trip soon. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Don't even start that, Adrian." She says. "My granddaughter is out there somewhere, possibly in danger. I'm not going anywhere until she is home safe with her father. If your dad doesn't like that, then he can go to hell."

I can't help but smile at those words. It wasn't very often she would stand up to my father, but when did, she didn't back down. I'm glad she considered this a good enough reason to stand up to him.

"I love you, Mom." I say wrapping my arms around her.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart." She says back. "Now, you go find your daughter, and I will take care of things here."

"Thank you."

Twenty minutes later, Lissa, Christian, Dimitri, Rose, Eddie, Jill, Brandon, Mark, Mikhail, and I are piled in one of the three vans Lissa had to rent to make it to Palm Springs heading toward San Diego.

I'm in the front seat next to Jill who was driving. Lissa, Christian, and the guardians are sitting in the second and third rows of seats discussing tactics to keep the "royal family" safe.

Lissa had been able to get the law changed. She no longer needed to have living family member to be queen, but there were still vampires out of there who wanted to see her off the throne, even if it meant killing her and those she loved out of spite.

No matter the circumstances, Rose and Dimitri would not risk Lissa's life. They'd make sure she had the best protection before anything else. I couldn't blame them, though. Lissa's life is just as important to me as Emmalyn's.

I spend most of the drive lost in my own thoughts. The things Lissa told me about her dream visit with Emmalyn were heartbreaking, confusing, and even a little shocking. I still don't know how I feel about all of it, especially knowing most of Emmalyn's feelings at this point are my fault.

I spent sixteen years allowing my own hurt and sadness over Sydney's death to get in the way of my relationship with Emmalyn. The poor girl didn't know anything about her mother or what a wonderful woman Sydney was, all because I couldn't bear to talk about Sydney after her death.

I never spoke about Sydney in order to save myself some pain, but I never stopped to consider how much pain this would cause my daughter. I was selfish and that pushed my daughter away. No wonder she thought I had I'd rather have her mother.

"I don't understand why she never told me how she was feeling." I say to Jill feeling completely lost. "I mean, I've always encouraged her to be open about her feelings. And I tell her all the time that she never has to be afraid to talk to me about anything. Why would she feel like she had to keep all that inside?"

Jill sighs and places a gentle hand on my am.

"Actions speak louder than words." She says. "You may have encouraged her to be open about her feelings, but when you weren't open about Sydney, so she took her cues from you."

"But if she would've told me she was this unhappy, I would've…" I trail off as something dawns on me. "She tried."

"Two nights ago." Jill nods.

"And instead of being understanding, I got angry. God, how did my life get so messed up?"

"It's not your fault." Jill says taking a quick glance at me. "Jared Sage screwed both of you when he took Sydney's life. You did the best you could, but you made some mistakes; something everyone does. We will get her back, and you will have a chance to fix those mistakes. You just need to have faith in that."

"That is if she'll late me, but what if she doesn't?" I ask. "What if she's already decided that her relationship with me isn't worth fixing?"

"Adrian Ivashkov, I do not want to hear you say that again. You are a good father, and Emmalyn loves you very much. She won't give up on you."

I nod, but all I can think as we continue our drive to Black Midnight is: What if she already has?

Two and a half hours later, we arrived at Black Midnight. It looked like the same dingy, unsanitary place it had when Sydney and I made our first visit there, at least on the outside. On the inside, it looked like the most opulent hotel I have even seen. It was refined and classy. Almost like a five star restaurant.

"Alright, Brandon, Mark, Mikhail, surround the outside." Rose orders as we climb out of the van. "I want you to call me if there is any suspicious going on. Dimitri, Eddie, and I will escort the others inside. We don't know who will be in there, so I want everyone to keep their eyes open."

Despite the circumstances of our visit, I can't help but admire Rose in her element. She can order a group of guardians around flawlessly and lay the smack down on anyone who tried to hurt Lissa or anybody else she cared about.

We wait until Brandon, Mikhail, and Mark have surrounded the building and given the all clear before we head in. Being that it is a Wednesday evening, the place isn't very busy. It is easy to see that vampires are the clubs main clientele.

At first, no one reacts to our entrance; we're just another group of vampires and dhampirs looking to get drunk and have fun. Then someone recognizes Lissa and one by one all of the vampires drop to their knees before her making sure we have a clear path to the bar.

"Rise and go back to your fun." Lissa says once we reach the bar and slide into the stools lining it. Rose, Dimitri, and Eddie remain standing and facing the crowd.

"Your Majesty." The bartender says dropping to one knee behind the bar. "I'm honored to have you in my establishment. What can I get for you?"

"Please, rise." Lissa says. "I'm actually not here for a drink. My friend here," She gestures to me as the bartender stands up. "Is looking for his daughter. We have reason to believe that she'd been here. Would you mind answering a couple questions about for us."

"Anything for you, my queen." He gives a little bow almost hitting his head on the counter.

"Can I ask your name?"

"Ivan."

"Well, Ivan, do you think you could identify her for us?"

"I will do the best I can ma'am, but I'm afraid I see hundreds of people on a daily basis. I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

"Of course. I expect you'll do the best you can, though." Ivan nods as I pull a picture of Emmalyn out of my pocket.

It is her most recent school picture. Her long blonde hair is falling around her face in gentle curls while the smile I love so much lights up her face. I sigh as I flip it so Ivan can get a good look at it.

He nods giving us a small smile.

"I don't think I could ever forget her, even if she never returns." Ivan says.

"Why?" Lissa presses.

"She was in here with one of my regulars from 10 or 11 yesterday morning until well after sunset." Ivan explains. "She drank more than twice the amount most girls her size could tolerate and was still able to walk out of here on her on two feet completely coherent."

"I see." Lissa says as I put my head in my hands.

Things were worse than I thought. Was she really so unhappy with me and the life I've given that she wanted to drown it in alcohol? Or was this just normal experimenting for a sixteen year-old girl? Either way, I didn't like it. As someone who used to have a drinking problem, I knew how badly alcohol could mess with your head and inhibitions. If she was already getting this drunk, God only knew what else she was doing.

"You said she was in here with one of your regulars." Lissa continues her questioning. "Can you tell us anything about him?"

Ivan nods and goes over to a cork board with some picture pinned to it, He pulls one off and brings it back to us.

"His name is Nik Baker, and he is a warlock who is in here pretty much every day." Ivan explains. "I assume he is around 18 or 19 years-old. I think he's got some problems, though. Most nights, his friends have to come, and drag him out of here."

Hope springs into my heart as I listen to what Ivan has to say. Perhaps if we could find out where this guy lives, we could find out where Emmalyn was.

"Do you know where he lives?" I ask crossing my fingers under the bar.

"Unfortunately, no." Ivan answers and the hope is gone before I had a chance to really feel it. "However, I can tell you that he drives a black charger."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about him?" Lissa presses.

"No. He likes to keep to himself when he is here. In fact, the girl is the only friend I've ever actually seen him bring in here. Unless you count the boys who drag him out at the end of the night."

"Well then, Ivan, I thank you for your time and your honesty." Lissa says scribbling her number on a napkin. "If he or the girl return, please call me?"

"Of course, my queen. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"Nonsense. You've helped a great deal."

She slides off the stool and the rest of us follow suit. Rose and Dimitri lead us through the, once again, parted and kneeling crowd while Eddie brings up the rear.

"So how do we find this Nik Baker and what do we do when we find him?" Eddie asks once we are in back in the van heading away from Black Midnight.

"Well," I say. "He's a warlock, I can call Jackie Terwillinger again and see what she knows about him." I say. "She is pretty well versed in the covens of California."

"Good, do it." Lissa orders. "In the meantime, I will give the California DMV a call. There are a few vampires who work for them. I can easily talk them into giving me the addresses of all the Nik Bakers who own black chargers in California."

I pull out my phone and hit my number three speed dial. The phone rang three times before she answered.

"Any news?" She asks sounding almost as desperate as I felt.

"Not really." I sigh. "We have a direction to go in now though. She was last seen at a bar called Black Midnight with a warlock named Nik Baker. The bartender couldn't give us much information on him, but I was hoping you might know something about him."

She's quiet for a long moment and I wonder if she is going to answer me. Then she lets out a heavy sigh, and I know I'm not going to like what I hear.

"Yes, I know a lot about Nik Baker." She finally says. "I know a lot about the entire coven, actually." She sighs again, and I imagine she's pinching the bridge of her nose. "The Baker coven has a horrible reputation in our community. They are known for their use of dark magic."

"Perfect." I sigh suddenly wishing I hadn't given up smoking. "Can anyone give me good news?"

"There's more, actually." Jackie says and I can hear the cringe in her voice. "Nik is the strongest and most powerful of the coven, even stronger than his parents who founded it. He is arrogant, and, from what I've heard, evil."

"How evil?" I ask.

"Your remember my sister, Veronica."

I didn't think I could ever forget Veronica. She tried to kill Sydney several times before Sydney and Jackie were finally able to stop her.

"Yes." I sigh.

"He makes her look like Galinda, the good witch."

"Damn it!" I slam my fist on the dashboard. I did not need something like this to be added on top of everything else. I could take on Jared Sage, but a powerful warlock, I need someone like Sydney on my side.

"I don't think he'd hurt her, though." Jackie says in a small voice. "He would recognize her as the powerful witch that she is. He'll probably try to corrupt her, first."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Then he'll kill her."

"Just great." I sigh trying to keep my frustration in. I didn't need to make Jill so nervous that she got us into an accident.

Of course, judging by the way she was already binge drinking, I didn't think I had to worry about her being killed. It seemed Nik Baker was well on his way to corrupting her.

"Knowing she's with Baker might be help for in trying to locate her, though." Jackie continues. "I mean, she probably doesn't know that we know about him, so she doesn't know to cloak him. My coven will continue to work on it and I will get back to you."

"Thanks, Jackie." I sigh and flip the phone shut. I smile a little as I imagine the berating Sydney would give me for not saying goodbye. She always hated people who didn't have phone manners.

"Well, Nik Baker is an evil warlock who wants to corrupt my daughter." I say to everyone in the car. "And if he can't manage that, he'll probably kill her."

"That's alright, Adrian." Lissa says with a smile. "My subjects at the DMV pulled through. "There are six Nik Bakers who own black Chargers in California. Only two of those meet the age requirement and are within reasonable driving distance from Black Midnight."

"Then let's go pay this asshole a visit."

The first address was home to a completely average human, Nicolas Baker. He had your typical happy marriage with a white house, picket fence, and 2.5 children. Definitely not, evil warlock material. We didn't even bother to stop and ask question.

The second address was different, though. It was a large white house. I was reminded of an orphanage from old time movies. Each window had different curtains of varying tastes. Some of them simply had sheets thrown over them to keep the light out.

I find myself wondering exactly what it is that we are walking into.

Again, Rose sends Brandon, Mark, and Mikhail to check the area before allowing us to go to the door. Lissa rings the doorbell, and we wait for what feels like forever before a kid who didn't look much older than 17 opens the door. I know immediately this is not Nik Baker. He looks nothing like the guy in the picture that Ivan gave us.

He's tall and extremely muscular with shoulder length bleach blonde hair, and has the most interesting eyes I've ever seen. They are black with little flecks of gold in them. The remind me of the Rose's aura back when she was shadow kissed. He has a goofy smile on his face that falters when he sees us.

"Can I help you?" He asks. His tone is guarded and his aura is a deep shade of yellow: the color of deceit (A/N: I don't know aura colors, so just go with it)

"Yes, is Nik Baker here?" Lissa asks. Her tone tells me that she's seen the same thing I have.

"No, he's not." The kid answers.

"It's important that we speak to him." Lissa continues. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"No idea." His aura turns darker as he speaks. "He just took off and didn't tell anyone where he was going."

"Do you know if anyone was with him when he left?"

"Not a clue."

Lissa sighs and holds her hand out for the picture. I hand it to her. She flips it so he can see it.

"He was seen at a bar with this girl yesterday. Did he bring her home? Or mention anything about her?"

"I'm not his father." The boy said. "I don't keep track of who he hangs out with, or who he brings home?" His aura was slowly turning from yellow to a deep shade of orange. He was getting angry with this line of questioning. Did that mean he was lying?

"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Lissa presses.

"Look, lady," He snapped. "I live in a house full of twenty teenage boys. Do you have any idea how many girls come in and out of here on a nightly basis? She could've been here, but I don't know. I don't keep track of everyone's one night stands."

"Well, this "one night stand" is a 16 year-old runaway. I'm sure your buddy doesn't want to be brought up on kidnapping and rape charges, now would he?"

The boy's aura started turned bright red as he narrowed his eyes at Lissa. I knew he was hiding something, but there was no way to make him talk. He'd probably been taught to block compulsion.

"No, he wouldn't. But he isn't here, right now. Why don't you come back in a few days. Have a goodnight."

He slams the door on our faces leaving us staring at it dumbfounded.

"He's hiding something." I say as we head back to the car. "Either she was there, or still is."

"And we have no way to know for sure." Lissa replies.

"So what know?" Rose asks as my cell phone starts ringing.

I pull it out of my pocket to see Jackie's number flashing.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hey Adrian, we have a possible location on Nik Baker for you." Jackie says sounding like she had just run a marathon. "We don't know how accurate it is. We didn't have anything personal of his, or a virgin to do a super strong spell, but it is the best we will be able to do."

"Anything is better than nothing." I tell her.

"According to our spell, they are somewhere just outside Las Vegas." Jackie says. "Unfortunately, we can't get any more accurate than that."

"It's a place to start." I say. "Thanks, Jackie."

"We will keep trying, though."

"Alright. We will head to there and keep you updated." I tell her, and flip the phone shut.

"So?" Rose asks.

"Anyone fancy a trip to Vegas?

**A/N: Well, let me know what you guys think. Please, review. **


	8. Red

**A/N: This chapter was written by the wonderful . Please show her some love. **

**ALYN**

"This is never going to work." I tell Nik dryly. I have been doing the same spell for three hours now and nothing is happening. I have done this spell countless times, and I have never had this much trouble with it. I mean I have located my pizza guy because I don't trust what their website says. It has never failed me before.

"Maybe because your spell is a piece of shit." Nik reports. I glare at him, and he throws his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying I think you need a new spell, that's all. I know one that will find your aunt in no time, but it takes two people, a map of the United States, and an arrow head. Lucky for you, I grabbed the map and arrow head while I was packing." He adds climbing over the bed to where he threw his suitcase and producing a large map and arrow head on a black iron chain.

Sighing I give up my spell because it has become useless to me. "So what do we do?" I inquire.

Nik gives me a sly grin before saying, "I want you to think of your best memory of your Aunt. It has to be the best, the happiest; it has to stand out, okay?"

"Okay." I resound and I start to think of the few but memorable times I've spent with my aunt. As I start to think, I realize there is one memory that stands out above the rest. "Got it." I inform him; my voice becoming extremely hoarse.

"Great now just relive it."

That is easy. It was right after the move to Palm Springs and I all I wanted was my mommy.

"_How you doing kid?" Aunt Zoe implores of me. She is standing in the door way of my new room, but it doesn't feel like my room. No room has ever felt like mine. _

_It has been a few weeks since I left the awful academy. I mean the school itself was great, but the kids hated me I was the only dhampir there who was half human/half Moroi, and one of the very who knew who both her parents were. I got picked on, laughed at, and even thrown into a few trash cans. It was a miracle I got my dad to move me. I don't know if I could have survived being there one more year._

"_Fine." I state. I don't want to look weak in front of her. She saves people for a living. I don't want to be anything but awesome in her mind. After all, she is all I have left of my mom. Sighing, she comes and wraps her arms around me sitting next to me on my bed. Welcoming her embrace, I snuggle deeper into the protective arms of my aunt._

"_You know your mom would have been so proud of you." She whispers into my hair. This is the first time anyone has ever mentioned my mom to me besides her untimely death. _

"_Really?" I ask awestruck that my mother would actually be proud of me._

"_Yes." Aunt Zoe says in a matter-of-fact tone._

"_Can you tell me about her?" I ask meekly. I never ask dad about her. I tried to once, but before I could get the question out, I saw the look of pain on his face, so I didn't finish. I didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already was._

"_Sure!" Aunt Zoe exclaims a bit too chipper for me, but I couldn't love her anymore right now. "Your mom was super smar,t just like you. She loved to learn and she practically knew everything about everything. She was beautiful and you look so much like her. You both have blonde hair, only hers was longer, both are skinny as twigs, and both have beautiful skin. Her eyes where golden while yours are green, but I like your eyes better. She was extremely loyal and logical. She was a mama bear, though. She would protect the people she loved with everything she had. She was also just as kind and sweet natured. You would do well to try and become like her." _

_Pondering everything my aunt has told me I decide that I'm going to become just as amazing as my mom. I would learn everything I could about everything, I would be loyal, brave, protective, and I would grow my hair like hers. I would act like her, and hopefully wherever my mom is now she would look down on me and be proud that I will become just like her._

"Hey I think I found her." Nik informs me shaking me out of my memories. Looking at the map, the arrow head is stuck on New York.

"I guess our road trip ends in New York." I tell him trying to force happiness into my voice but failing miserably. Instead, I try to busy myself by cleaning up the bed, but Nik stops me grabs my chin and lifts it up, so I can meet his eyes.

"Hey, what is wrong?" He asks; his voiced colored with concern.

"Just the memory." I say not wanting to talk about it. Understanding this, Nik looks around for a distraction, and it comes in the form of my photo album.

"Tell be about all the people in this book." He demands of me. Seeing his effort, I nod in agreement. We shift around so that Nik's back is resting against the head board and I am sitting in his lap.

Flipping to the first page I point to a picture of my Dad. "This is my Dad. His name is Adrian, and he is a spirit using moroi." The next picture is of my Aunt Lissa and Uncle Christian, then my Aunt Jill and Uncle Eddie, followed by my Aunt Rose and Uncle Dimitri. There's even one of my Aunt Zoe and Uncle Marcus—the only one I have of them. "All of these photos were taken at my parents' wedding." I inform Nik. Flipping the page, you see the pictures of my mom getting ready for the wedding with my four aunts.

"Wow, your mother was beautiful. You look so much like her." He whispers running his fingers through my hair. Nodding my head, I continue to show him more pictures of my parents, and pictures of their wedding bands, and notes they sent to each other the day they got married. Soon, we were reach the pictures of my mom pregnant with me from the moment she found out—my mom as the twig Aunt Zoe describe, holding up a pregnancy test with a plus sign on it hugging my dad. Both looking excited but terrifies—all the way to just after I was born—mom laying in a hospital bed holding me tightly while Dad sat next to her stroking her hair.

We didn't talk much as I showed Nik the photos. I am grateful of that because I don't think I could talk about my mom without crying.

Towards the middle of the book, Nik points to a DVD in the book labeled: To my dearest daughter from mom.

"What is on this DVD?" Nik mumbles into my neck.

"I don't know I have never watched it." I tell him honestly. I never knew what I would find on that DVD and that scared me.

"Well let's watch it!" Nik demands a bit too happily but I concede; it's about time I watched this. We move silently to the living room. I go sit on the bare mattress while Nik sets up the DVD before joining me. Sending up a silent prayer that whatever is on this DVD won't be anything bad, we press play.

The TV screen goes blue then shows a small nursery that is empty of people. From the background you can hear my mom and dad arguing about something. Soon, my mom—my very pregnant mom—walks onto camera and screams for my dad to leave the room so she can record privately.

"Is this on?" She asks more to herself than to anyone. "Yes, good." Then backing up she sits on a small rocking chair in the corner. Every inch of this room is covered in a shade of pink.

"Well, hell,o my baby girl." With those first words, the tears start to fall. I never thought I would ever hear my mom say that to me. Even if it's through a video, she is talking to me. Nik wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a much needed embrace. If I am going to watch the full thing, I will need to use some of his strength.

"I am your mom. I just wanted to say that, I am your mom. Anyway, this is just a video for in case I don't see you for a long time. I grew up an Alchemist and lived with an extremely rigid man named Jared Sage. He isn't a very nice man and because I went against everything he believes in I got into a lot trouble, so I wanted you to know what I sound like and look like in case, one day, I am not with you.

I want you to know I love you very much. You are the most important thing in my life. I will do anything to make sure you never have to know what it's like to be on the run. You will have a great life and be well taken care of. If there is ever a point in time where I am not with you remember: I love you. Remember that whatever I do in the future, I do for you. Also I have a few life lessons for you because you might need them, and I don't think your dad will be able to help much.

So my list of life lessons:

Boys are gross. No matter what they say, boys are gross. Men however will take care of you and treat you right. There is a big difference, and you will learn that one day. Your dad—even though he was an adult—was a boy when I met him. His love for me helped him become a man. I think that's why I fell in love with him, even though it was dangerous.

Your first period will be a rough one. Please don't go to your dad for help. Call any of your aunts for help, but save your father's sanity and don't ask him.

Not everything tastes as good as it looks. Be careful about what you eat and what you put into your body.

Coffee is sent from God and should always be present in your life, no matter what.

Always try and seek true understanding of everything. Don't jump to conclusions because they fit nicer in your head. Try and understand the whole situation from every angle.

And finally number 6. Live life my baby girl. Live life with everything you have and don't regret anything you do because what you do makes up who you are.

So, my darling little girl, be brave, the world is a scary but fun place and take care of your dad for me. He will need you. I love you both more than you can ever know."

She blows me a little kiss and the DVD goes black.

I am sobbing in Nik's arms by then. end wishing my mom was here with me. I really need her right now.

This is the only time I have ever heard her voice, seen her mannerism, or just seen who she is outside of a photo. I feel robbed. I feel like my dad robbed me of a chance to know my mother. Sure, he didn't kill her, but he acted like she didn't exist, which is just as bad. I should have this video memorized by now; I should have watched it with my dad. I should have gotten to know all the crazy stories about her life. But no, no one ever talked to me except for my Aunt Zoe that one time, the rare offhand comment about acting like my mom from Rose, or the daily tale of how my mom died from my father. I should know more, I should know my mother! But everyone kept her from me.

As I continue to sob, hatred and anger build inside of me like a forest fire growing. I don't ever want to see my dad again! He kept my mother from me. I hope he rots. The mix of hatred, anger, and utter sadness propel me to continue to sob in Nik's arms, his strong, loving arms. I don't have a family anymore because they are a bunch of liars who kept the woman who brought me into this world from me. No I don't have a family, but I have Nik. Sobbing I hold tighter to Nik, because he is all I have left; Him and my Aunt Zoe.

"I am starving." I tell Nik as we head into Vegas. I spent the rest of the day crying my eyes out and sleeping. I know Nik had left to get me lunch, but that is really all I remember. Now, the sun is starting to set which means the casinos are starting to open.

"Well, we need money so let's gamble and try to double our money."

We were running out of cash fast. Between food and gas for his charger, which has shitty gas mileage, we barely have two thousand dollars left. Sure, we had enough for food now, but if we don't make some cash we would be stranded in no time.

"Well if we are going to gamble away our money then I think I should play Black Jack with it." I tell him matter – of –factly.

"You are good at poker?" Nik asks dumb founded.

"Black Jack is just math, and I am amazing at both." I smirk at him as I am getting out of the car in front of the Palms Hotel and Casino." My best friend and I have been playing Black Jack since the day we met. We're both really good at it. I don't know her secret, but I am really good at math. Kelly taught me how to when and we've never stopped playing."

I don't tell him that Black Jack is my favorite stress reliever and distractions. Black Jack is nothing but numbers. I like numbers: they can't lie to you. Or keep secrets from you. They are just there to help you win games like Black Jack.

"Fine, then if you lose it's all on you." Nik says cheekily coming up behind me with his hand on my waist. But Nik has yet to learn that I never lose.

"Wow, you are on a roll missy." The dealer says to me. I have been playing for the last three hours, and I've won every time. I am not counting cards per say, but I have learned a way of winning that some would call cheating. I say that it's more a battle of wits. If you can make people believe that they already have lost, then they won't really try. Most are too cautious with then they hit and stay but not cautious enough when it came to their bets. But more for me! I have already won 3.2 million dollars, the best room in the Palms on the house, and free meals while I am here. That includes drinks. Nik had gone from surprised at my ability, to fascinated that I could keep up my winning streak, to amused when I cleaned out a person for all they had. It is good being a winner, but the best part about being a winner is, knowing when to walk away. I don't think you can get better, so I bid the dealer away and go to cash in.

"Wow, you're amazing!" Nik whispers into my ear.

"I know! Now we have a better place to stay and free food. Plus 3.2 million dollars!" I whisper back at him as we are handing in our chips. The guy gives us our money in twenty dollar bills and our room key.

"So what do we do now?" Nik asks me trying not to be suggestive but failing miserably.

"Now we go to our room and play." I tell him equally suggestive. I am running away with him, I deserve to have fun with his emotions just a bit, and frankly, it's fun!

"I like the sound of that." Nik says tightening his hold on me as we get into the elevator. Laughing I shake my head. What is fun in my head will probably not be fun in his head. But he is a dirty boy and he should know better.

"A money fight?" Nik asks as if I have lost my mind.

We got to the room about an hour ago, and boy, what a room it is. This room is called the Fantasy Penthouse Suite and my God it is beautiful. With its game room, Jacuzzi tub, walk in closet, and the softest sheets in the entire world. I am sure living the dream.

From there we explored, the over 2,000 square foot pent house. It is so big that a small family could live in it. After exploring we called up dinner. I had a yummy steak with mashed potatoes and veggies, while Nik had the lobster and salad bar. I don't understand him sometimes. His lobster was twice the size of my steak, but he ate all of it plus my leftovers. God, he could really eat!

"Yes a money fight, and here are the rules. We divide up the money somewhat evenly then we throw it back and forth at each other. Simple." I inform him. He just stares at me deadpan as if that is the dumbest idea ever.

"What?" I ask him irritated already by his lack of enthusiasm.

"Well that will be hard to pick up and I much rather just jump on a bed with money and roll around in it." Nik says with a smirk growing on his face.

"Fine!" I agree and as quickly as possible we dump the four bags of money on the bed. Nik goes first, and I laugh at the ridiculousness of what I am seeing. But Nik looks so happy that I can't ruin this for him. Jumping on the bed, I can see the money bouncing around, and it is seriously the most fun I have ever had! I pick up a huge handful of money and throw it in Nik's face!

"See! Told you it would be fun!" I scream at him in laughter as I land on the bed because of how surprised and angry Nik looks. Before I can catch my breath, a large pile of money falls on top of me and I start laughing even harder and rolling around in it. There is something about 3.2 million dollars that makes you laugh hysterically and just not care. I am calling it "money high."

"You're right that is fun!" Then on top of the bed Nik and I start throwing handfuls of money at each other and making noise. Soon, I realize that my side of the bed has only a few bills left on it. Jumping off the bed I run around the bed trying to grab more money. That proved to be unsuccessful because as soon as I was off the bed, Nik had me in his arms tickling the crap out of me. I start to flail my arms and legs screaming for him to stop but to no avail.

I finally pushed him off of me as my back hit a wall. Breathing heavy, Nik sandwiches me between himself and the wall. There is no place I would rather be. The same thing that happened to us when we were back at the warlock house is happening now.

I am completely and utterly lost in his eyes. My breaths become labored not from laughing, but from the lack of air in this room. His hands trail up and down my arms leaving fireworks in their wake. I find that my own hands have traveled up his chest and wrapped themselves around his neck pulling him closer and closer to me. Every part of his body is pressed up against mine, and it's just how I want it. I want him close to me and I want him to kiss me. This kind of want is new to me, but I can't ignore how I feel. Bringing his lips so close to mine, if I moved even a centimeter we would be kissing. God only knows how much I want him to kiss me. We are so closer I can feel it. He is about to close the gap when…

His phone goes off. A look of anger and disbelief crosses his face, but he doesn't move. I can see he is weighing his options.

"Just answer it." I sigh. "It could be important." He climbs off the bed and answers the phone.

"What?" he asks rather harshly to whoever called him.

I can heal the muffled sound of a boy talking through the other end. Nik moves further from the bed as the other guys continues talking. I notice that his face is getting paler and paler as he continues to listener. What was the other guy saying? Had something happened to a member of his coven while he was taking me on the trip of a lifetime?

"Are you shitting me?" He finally says, and I make a mental note to talk to him about his language. The guy on the other line says something else, and he sounds a little angry. "Yeah, thanks man." He hangs up and looks me square in the face.

"That was my friend, Nate. Apparently, your dad stopped by the house with six others, who I'm going to assume are your aunts and uncles, looking for you. Nate says he heard them say they are coming to Vegas and that was about four hours ago, which means we need to get a move on." Just great. My father isn't around and he ruins moments for me.

Nodding I rush to collect all the money and put it back into the bags. Soon, we are running out of the hotel and driving back to the little shack to grab our stuff.

"Okay I am going to grab our bags and make sure we have everything." I tell him leaping out of the car before it came to a complete stop. I am such a rebel. I know it takes about five hours to get from San Diego to Las Vegas, and Nik said they left four hours ago. This really didn't leave us anytime to get away.

"Okay, I am going to start the fire." Nik said pulling out tanks of gasoline.

"Fire?" I ask slightlyappalled that we have turned to arson now.

"Yes, that way there will be nothing to find." Nik says as if it is obvious. I can tell Nik is stressed out. I am too, but that is no reason to get all nasty about it.

"If we are going to do that then we are going to need a new car. They have to know what your car looks like." I tell him.

Finally, everything is packed and being thrown into the trunk of the car while Nik is on the roof drenching the poor shack with gas. I had really liked this place. It had a feeling of home, but Nik was right. They had guardians and if we left this place standing then they would find some way to us.

Getting into the driver seat, I adjust everything so it fits me. Looking at the gear shift I smile, it is a manual. My guilty pleasure in life is fast cars and manual transmissions.

Looking up, I see Nik running up to the car and jumping in right as flames completely take over that poor shack. As soon as he is in we are driving extremely fast, trying to put some distance between us and our pursuers.

"What kind of car do you want?" Nik asks clearly relaxing and calming down. I smile at him and start to think.

"It's not what kind of car I want, because I want a superfast fun car. But we need one that can blend in but has good gas mileage and can go fast if need be. We need to get a Civic." As much as I hate Civics, right now our journey called for one. "Also we need it not to be traced back to us. Would you be so opposed to trade this car into a chop shop? I am sure a shop will be able to give us a Civic." I loved this car, but in life there is a time to keep things and a time to say goodbye right now is the saying goodbye part.

"Sure." Nik says nonchalantly.

"Are you sure?" I ask. If I am already falling in love with this car, it must be like his baby.

"I am fine with it." Nik tells me giving my hand a small squeeze. But for some reason I don't believe him.

"Swear it to me on something that matters."

"3.2 million dollars." Is Nik's comeback. Throwing my head back laughing, I take him at his word.

"3.2 million dollars." I echo as drive further and further away from Vegas!

**A/N: So what do you guys think? Send Dimitria some love, because she is amazing. Also, the first person who can correctly tell me where we got the "Swear it to me on something that matters" part from. Hope you enjoy it! **


	9. Your Face in a Locket

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I've been working on so many projects lately, and I haven't had time for all of them. I promised Dimitria I would devote the entire day to this chapter, and I don't break my promises. Besides, even though she won't let me get away with say this, I know you are all dying for another one of her chapters, so let's get mine out of the way. **

**Hope you enjoy. **

**ADRIAN**

We arrived in Vegas only three and a half hours after leaving San Diego. True, it was supposed to be a five hour trip, but we let Christian drive. I had never ridden with the man before, and I doubted I ever would again. His tendency to speed and weave in and out of traffic while effective in getting us to Emmalyn faster was truly terrifying.

Rose spent most of the drive reminding him that the queen of the Moroi and mother of his children was in the car, and if he didn't have respect for the rest of our lives, he should've at least had respect for Lissa. If I wasn't so nervous about what we'd find when we made it to Vegas, I would've laughed at the two of them.

They had gotten close despite everything that happened with Christian's aunt but, every now and then, you could see them slipping back into their old antagonistic roles. It was usually absolutely hilarious when that happened. I needed the laugh, but I couldn't make myself take it even as I watched Rose berate Christian for his reckless driving habits.

Jill, who had insisted on sitting next to me, placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeezed. She had stopped trying to tell me everything was going to be okay hours ago. Yet, the bond wouldn't allow her not to do anything when she could feel the anxiety pouring off my in waves.

Her presence alone was soothing, but not enough to make me forget what was going on. My daughter had run away because I had been selfish when it came to her mother. Why hadn't I considered Emmalyn's feelings in all these years? Her mother had been ripped away from me after only a few months of being together but, Emmalyn, she hadn't been able to even know her mother. And I was selfish enough to keep her from her mother.

Those things were bad enough, but to know that she had found solace in a dark warlock who wanted to corrupt her and was now running across the country with him. Well, that one hurt a lot. Hadn't Jackie and I taught her better than running off with the first guy who flaunts fancy magic in her face?

And to top it all off, Jared Sage was out there. Where? We didn't know, but we knew he was biding his time for a chance to get his hands on Emmalyn. He would do everything in his power to get his hands on her and destroy me. He blamed me for taking his daughter from him. That was no secret. He had already promised to do the same thing to me.

Lissa phone rang as Christian pulled up to the curb on the strip. It was clearly an illegal space, but between Lissa and me, we could convince any cop that it was no big deal that we parked there. Lissa pulled out her phone and flashed a grim smile as she looked at the caller id.

"Donna Stanton." She said flipping it open and pressing it to her ear. "Vasilisa Dragomir."She said in her most regal sounding voice. My vampire hearing could've probably picked up Donna's end of the conversation, but I was too lost in my thoughts to pay much attention.

She was probably just calling to tell us some lie about how they couldn't find Jared when the truth was that they had probably already found him. She had probably even gone as far as to tell him that Emmalyn had run away and had no protection at all.

"So we need to come up with some kind of plan." Eddie stated. "We have no idea why they came to Vegas or where they would be."

"Umm…Eddie," Rose said. "Not to insult your intelligence or anything, but why would any young person want to come to Vegas?"

"I don't know. Maybe to meet with the man she broke out of prison's brother, so they could chat about how to save her boyfriend from being a Strigoi." Eddie answered in a tone of playful sarcasm.

The Victor Dashkov break out was no longer a sore spot in their friendship. Eddie looked at it like this: If it hadn't been for being an accomplice in that situation, he would've been assigned to some stiff royal instead of Jill. Who knows where he would've ended up without her? I think he might have actually been grateful for the role Rose played in his getting assigned to protect her in Palm Springs.

"No offense, man." He added looking to Dimitri who was sitting next to Rose.

"None taken." Dimitri responded with a good natured smile.

I suppressed the urge to groan. My daughter was potentially in trouble, and they were sitting here making jokes about our last visit to Vegas. The tension that had been building since they arrived in California was starting to lessen a little, though, and I didn't want to ruin it. If they needed their jokes to get through this situation, then I would let them have it.

"Fine." Rose said, mock glaring at Eddie. "Let me rephrase that: Why would any normal young person want to come to Vegas?"

"Gambling." Jill said with a shrug. "Especially someone as smart and good with numbers as Emmalyn. She'd be able to clean every casino out, if she wanted to."

"Exactly." Rose stated. "So we need to split up and search the casinos. Once Lissa finishes with Stanton, I will split us into groups of two and assign us casinos."

I loved how no one, not even Dimitri questioned Rose taking the lead on this whole thing. She was the queen's guardian, though. I supposed that made her a general of sorts. The guardians recognized her as the authority figure, and I had a feeling Dimitri just got off on seeing her giving orders and doing the job she was always meant to do.

I had to admit, it was really nice seeing her like that, too. I have never seen her happy than when she was fighting or arranging strategic battles plans, except perhaps when she was with Dimitri. This was definitely her element, and no one was going to try to take it from her.

Lissa hung up the phone shortly after that.

"Again, there is good news and bad news." Lissa sighed. "The good news is: the Alchemists have managed to locate Jared in a small city in Ohio. The bad news is: they are unable to take him into custody because he is with a group of

Warriors of Light."

"Fan-fucking-tastic." I said. As if I didn't already have enough to worry about. If he was working with the Warriors, it would be harder for us to save Emmalyn if he got his hands on her.

"Why can't they just take him?" Christian asked.

"Donna doesn't want to start a fight between the Alchemist and the Warriors. Things are still on shaky ground from when the Alchemists interfered with Sonya. She's trying to keep it peaceful between them. She says she has the Alchemists watching him, and will inform us of their movements."

"Do you believe her?" I asked.

"Hell, no." Lissa answered. "I've already called Guardian Headquarters. They are sending ten guardians to Ohio to help the Alchemists keep an eye on Jared."

"You're the best, cousin." I couldn't help but smile at her. Everything she was doing just to find and protect my daughter was against every royal protocol in our world. She was going to be in a lot of trouble with the council when she returned to court. It didn't matter to her, though. Only making sure my little girl made it back to me. "I just hope it doesn't get you into too much trouble."

"Adrian, I am the queen." She answered. "If the council has something to say, I will tell them to shove it up their asses. Emmalyn is one of my subjects and it is my job to keep all of them safe. Emmalyn needs my protection right now, and I will not let her down. If the council doesn't like it then they can go fuck themselves."

"Again, I say, who are you and what have you done with my wife?" Christian asked staring at her in amazement.

"Shut up, Christian." She said with a little chuckle. "Just because no one's ever seen this side of me, doesn't mean it isn't there. So what's the plan?"

"We are going to search the casinos for Emmalyn and Nik." Rose explained. "I'm splitting us into groups of two that way we can cover more ground. We are going to start with: The Luxor, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Caesar's Palace, and The Palms. If memory serves me correctly, those are the five biggest and most popular. If one group finds something, they will call the others, if not we will meet back here and keep moving down the list.

"Now, Christian and Dimitri will take The Luxor. Check every inch of the casino, and Christian, I know it is more difficult for you, but I need you to try to _convince _the receptionist to find out if they've got a room there. And Dimitri, don't let him out of your sight. We don't need anything to happen to any of the Moroi."

"Don't worry, Roza, I'll take care of him." Dimitri stated giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

After a hasty goodbye with Lissa, Christian and Dimitri crawled out of the van and disappeared into the crowd.

"Eddie and Jill, I want the two of you to take the MGM Grand." Rose continued. "Again search every inch of the casino and try to _convince _reception to give you room information. And Eddie…"

"She's my wife, Rose, I'm not about to let anything happen to her." Eddie cut her off.

"Good. Then go." Rose laughed. "Mark and Brandon you are going to take Planet Hollywood. Search every inch of the casino and try to get information from reception. I know you are at a disadvantage without a Moroi, but I know you're good at your job.

"We will do our best, Guardian Hathaway." Mark said before climbing out of the van with Brandon following quickly behind.

"Lissa and I will take Caesar's Palace. And you and Mikhail take The Palms." Rose finished. "We will call you if we find out anything."

I nodded as we slid out of the van. Rose locked it behind us and we headed toward our respective hotels.

The Palms was a within walking distance of the strip, but it was a long walk. Thankfully, it wasn't daylight, so I didn't have to contend with the sun. However, the bright lights of the neon signs made it difficult were a little painful on my eyes. Why'd they have to come to a city so bright?

Mikhail stayed beside me the whole time; his eyes scrutinizing the crowd looking for any sign of Emmalyn and Strigoi. Vegas was one of their favorite hang outs. So much Moroi and human blood just walking around for the kill. I'd be more concerned about an attack if I wasn't so worried about Emmalyn.

It was a relief when we made it to The Palms. The inside of the casino was a lot dimmer than it had been outside, but it was much noisier too. I was going to need a large glass of vodka when this was over.

We moved right into the casino. There was no point in wasting compulsion on the receptionist when we weren't 100 percent sure they were even here.

"We do you think we should start?" Mikhail asked. I had known Rose's idea of searching every inch of the casinos was an impossible feat. They were all too big, and without direction, we'd all be lost. The question was: Where would Emmalyn go?

She was smart like her mother and good at math, but that could lead to any number of…

"Black Jack table." I said. "She's smart enough to know how to count cards. If they were desperate for money, she would've gone straight to that table."

"Are you sure?" Mikhail asked.

"I'm not sure about anything involving my daughter anymore, but it's the best idea we have."

Mikhail nodded and led the way to the Black Jack table. When we arrived there were two women who looked to be in their forties. They were wearing skimpy cocktail dresses and had drinks in their hands. They were flirty with the twenty-something dealer who was taking it good naturedly.

"I hope you ladies aren't like the couple who just left." The dealer said as we approached the table. "The girl won 3.2 million dollars in less than an hour."

I looked over at Mikhail with raised eyebrows and a small smile. I was pretty sure we had just found my daughter. Emmalyn was just as smart as her mother, and I was sure she and Sydney were the only two people who could've won that much money playing Black Jack.

"Excuse me, sir?" I said approaching the table with a smile. "I couldn't help but overhear. You had a young lady win 3.2 million dollars in the last hour?"

"That's right." The dealer smiled. "It was quite amazing really. I'd like to know how she did it."

"If I showed you a couple pictures do you think you could identify them for me?" I asked.

"That depends?"

I leaned down on the table to better look the dealer in the eye.

"I just need to know if the couple I'm looking for was here." I said in the calm soothing tone I reserved for compulsion and conversations with Emmalyn. "You can identify them for me, can't you?"

"Of course. Just show me the pictures." I smiled as I heard Mikhail engaging the other women. Good, I didn't need them to see or hear anything weird in this conversation.

I pulled out Emmalyn's school picture and the one of Nik that Ivan gave us back in San Diego and showed them both to him.

"Yes, that's her and the boy she was with." The dealer told me.

"And is there anything else you can tell me about them?" I asked.

"Just that they left the table a little over an hour and a half ago. I imagine they wanted to get a room and have some fun." The dealer chuckled, but his words sent my blood burning in my veins.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled.

The guy through his hands up in surrender and back away from the table a little. I supposed my tone was a little bit scary, but we were talking about my sixteen year-old daughter in a hotel room with a complete stranger. Damnit, I had a right to be pissed.

"Just that they couldn't keep their hands off each other." The dealer explained. "I assumed they were newlyweds on their honeymoon."

"Well, they're not." I growled before turning away and heading towards the reception desk. Mikhail said a hasty good bye to the ladies and hurried after me. "The nerve of that guy." I growled under my breath. "How dare he assume my sixteen year-old daughter…"

"I understand man, but you need to keep your temper in check." Mikhail stated putting a hand on my shoulder. "We don't want to draw too much attention to the fact that we are here. You don't want to end up in a human jail, or have Emmalyn run again because she knows you are here, do you?"

"No." I snapped.

"Then calm down." Mikhail stated. "We will find her and bring her home before she's defiled by a strange kid."

I took a couple of deep breaths before we reach reception. He was right. Anger was not going to me anywhere except caught by my daughter, or worse, the human police. I didn't want either one of those to happen.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked as we approached the desk.

"Yes, Steve," I answered reading his name tag. "You can. I need to know if there is an Emmalyn Ivashkov registered at this hotel."

"I'm sorry. That information is private." Steve answered. His tone told me he was worried this was going to turn into a fight. I tried keeping my voice even as I reminded myself that this man was only doing his job.

"You don't understand." I said. "This girl, Emmalyn, is my daughter, and she's a sixteen year-old runaway. I need to know if she is here so I can get her and take her home."

"I'm sorry, unless I see proof of that story I can't give you the information."

I sighed and slipped back into my compulsion voice. Seriously, why couldn't these people just make it easy for me?

"I gave you proof that she is my daughter. Now, please check your records for an Emmalyn Ivashkov." I said calmly.

"Of course, sir." He said turning to his computer and typing in a name. He stared at the screen for a moment before turning back to me. "I'm sorry, sir. There is no one by that name registered at this hotel."

"What about a Nik Baker?" I pressed.

Steve nodded and went back to typing on his computer.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing under his name either." He answered after a moment. I sighed.

She had to be here. There was no way she would've won 3.2 million dollars and not have spent at least one night in a luxury hotel. The question was: what other name could she be registered under? I hadn't really expected to find her under Emmalyn Ivashkov. She was too smart for that. She'd know it would be the first name I looked her up under. So what other name…

A light bulb went off. There was only one name she wouldn't be expecting me to check. One name that she probably thought I never wished to utter again.

"What about Sydney Sage?" I asked Steve being sure not to break eye contact with him.

"I will run a check." Steve typed in the name. "Well, there is no Sydney, but there is an Alyn." He said after a minute. "She's the girl who won a free stay in our penthouse suite along with free food during her stay with us."

"Did she also win 3.2 million dollars?" I asked, even though I was pretty positive this was Emmalyn. The fake name made sense. I always called her Emmy, but to her Alyn would sound more mature and exciting. And she would never have expected me to figure out that she was using Sage.

"Yes. I remember her now. Such a charming young lady, even if her friend seemed like a bit of a sleaze ball." Steve answered. "I'm sure he only wants her for…"

"Can you just give me the key, please?" I asked not wanting anymore images of my angel in bed with Nik Baker.

"Of course. I'm not sure how much good it will do, though." Steve answered retrieving the key. "They checked out about a half hour ago."

"Has housekeeping been through the room, yet?" I pressed.

"No." Steve answered handing me the key.

"Thank you." I replied taking the key.

"Mikhail, call the others. Tell them to meet us at the Palms Penthouse suite 310."

"Got it." He pulled out his phone to call the others as we headed up to the room.

When we arrived upstairs, I braced myself for what I was about to see. Thankfully, I knew they wouldn't be in the room, and I wouldn't have to yank Nik off of Emmalyn, but I didn't know what they had done while they had been in here.

I opened the door to have my worst fears realized. There was only one bed in this large sweet and the blankets were strewn all over it. It honestly looked like they had had a sex romp on the bed. I was gonna kill that boy when I found them, especially if it turned out he was over eighteen.

"See, if you can find any hint of where they might have gone." I told Mikhail. We searched the room while we waited for the others to arrive, and the only thing we found was the necklace I had given her for her tenth birthday.

It was a medium sized heart shaped locket with a lily engraved on the front and the words, "My little Girls" engraved on the back. Inside, on the left, was a picture of Sydney and I that had been taken a month or so before Emmalyn was born. Sydney was standing in front of me with her arms cradling her stomach. I was behind her with my arms around her waist. We were both looking at her stomach grinning like idiots.

On the right, was a picture of Emmalyn and I just after Emmalyn had learned to walk. She was standing in front of me and I had my hands outstretched ready to catch her if she fell.

It hurt to see that she would just casually leave it here with no intentions of returning for it, especially since she refused to take it off since the day I gave it to her. She would even shower with it on. Did she really hate me that much? Did she really want to hurt me?

"What have you got there?" Rose asked when she and Lissa had arrived. They were the last to get there, and the rest of the guardians had continued combing through the room, still unable to find anything.

"The locket I got her for her tenth birthday." I sighed. "She just left here. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know." Rose answered. "Maybe it fell off and she didn't realize it."

I didn't even want to think about how it could've fallen off without her realizing it. It would've meant admitting that my baby girl wasn't a virgin anymore, and I wasn't ready to do that, yet.

"I suppose so."

"Were the others able to find anything that could tell us where they went?" Rose asked putting a hand on my shoulder.

"No, but I can talk to the receptionist again." I said.

"No, I will talk to the receptionist." Lissa argued. "You look like you've already used too much compulsion for one day. Dimitria, have them wrap things up here and meet us back at the van. Rose and I are going to see if we can't find out where they went when they left."

Dimitri nodded and gave the others their orders as Lissa and Rose disappeared out the door.

A half hour later, we were climbing back into the van and heading toward the address Steve had been able to give Lissa. Apparently, all the hotels kept a company of all their guests' addresses on file just in case housekeeping was to come across something that needed to be sent back. This was the only address Nik and Emmy gave the hotel.

"By the way guys," Mikhail said as Rose took over the role as driver. "Emmalyn is going by Alyn Sage right now. So if you hear anything about her, take note of it."

We rode in silence so thick and loud, the sound of Jill's phone ringing surprised us all. Jill pulled the phone out and hit talk with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, Angeline!" she greeted with a smile. "Thanks for calling me back. Is Trey around?"

I looked at Jill with a raised eyebrow. Just before Sydney and I escaped Palm Springs, Angeline and Trey ran off and got married. Trey was disowned by his father and made an outcast from the Warriors of Light. In fact, the Warrirors had orders to kill him on sight for his betrayal. Angeline and Trey's whereabouts were currently unknown—for Trey's safety, of course. I was surprised Jill had been able to get a call through.

"Thanks." Jill said.

"Why are you calling them?" I asked.

Jill shook her head and held up her index finger. "Hey, Trey, it's Jill. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the Warriors of Light faction in Ohio." She paused and nodded her head a few times. "Okay. No, it's fine. Don't get yourself into any trouble for us. I would hate for your kids to have to grow up without a father." Again she paused. "Yes, I'm sure. Thanks, though." Another pause and more nodding. "Yup. Tell Angeline we love and miss her." One last pause. "Yes, I'll tell him. Bye."

"What was that about?" I asked.

"I just thought him might know anything about the Warriors that Jared is hanging out with." Jill answered. "He doesn't, but he offered to find out. I told him no. I'm sure you understand why."

"Of course. I don't want to him endanger himself or his family for me." I told her.

"He did want me to that he thinks about you and Emmalyn all the time and hopes you are doing well."

I nodded but couldn't speak. I thought we were doing great. What kind of a father can't tell when his daughter is dying inside? What kind of father can't see what's right in front of him? I squeezed the locket in my hands thinking of all the ways that I was going to make it up to her when we finally found her. I was going to be a better father, no matter what I had to do.

We arrived at the address a good twenty minutes after we left the hotel. There were cop cars and fire trucks sitting in front of it, but the house was nothing more than a smoldering pile of ashes. There was literally nothing left of the house.

I panicked and shoved my way out of the car before Rose even had it stopped. Did Nik actually decided that my daughter wasn't worth trying to corrupt, or was this just an accident? I didn't know, but I was terrified.

I ran toward the house, only to be stopped by a police officer.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I can't let you get any closer." He said.

"My daughter might've been in there." I said trying to break of free of his grip on me.

"If anyone was in there, they were dead before we got here." The officer responded.

"No." I said staggering backwards. I staggered into Jill's arms. "She can't be dead. I can't lose her too." I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. My whole world was shattering. Why hadn't I been a better father? And given her the freedom she needed? Why didn't I tell her about her mother?

"Adrian," Rose said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We don't know if anyone was in there. She could be fine and headed somewhere else right now. This fire may have been started to throw us off the trail."

"Are you saying it was arson?" The officer asked.

"Of course, not." Lissa smiled walking toward him. "Just go about your business and forget we were even here."

The officer nodded and walked away. Lissa, Jill, and Rose helped tow me back to the fan as I tried to pull myself back together.

"How do can we find out if she was in there or not?" Jill asked the others.

"Call Jackie." I said handing Jill my phone. "She might be able to do a spell."

Jill did as I said while I wallowed in my own misery. Rose drove the van to some random alley and put the car in park.

"She's says she needs twenty minutes, but she should be able to tell us."

"Thank you." I whispered.

"I really don't think she was in there." Dimitri said calmly. "It is common for people who don't want to be found to burn down the place they've been staying in to get rid of all the evidence. Nik's friend probably tipped them off, and they left before we got here."

"I hope you're right." I said.

Needless to say, it was a tense twenty minutes just sitting in that alley. All I could think about was how I was going to bury my baby. It didn't look like there was anything left of that house. Would they even be able to confirm that she was in there?

When the phone finally rang, I snatched it from Jill and flipped it open.

"Give me good news, Jackie." I said in barely above a whisper.

"She and Nik are alive and well, and I think they are headed to Arizona."

**A/N: I know it is a long chapter to slog through, and I'm sorry. There was a lot I wanted to fit in this chapter. Hope you like it!**


	10. Here's to Never Going Home

**A/N: Here is chapter 10! Written by the amazing Dimitria. I would grab a box of tissues for this one. I bawled my eyes out, and I knew what was going to happen before I read it. It is beautiful. **

**ALYN**

"Where are we?"

We have been driving for hours trying to put distance between us and Vegas. We got the civic when we left Nevada and I have since learned how much I hate Civics. They go way too slow and, once when we stopped for food, I forgot which Civic was ours. There are millions of them everywhere! But it really doesn't matter that much or at least, that is what I tell myself so, I don't feel as bad.

Also, accompanying this car is lack of sleep for the both of us. I am fine for the most part. When you spend most nights studying and only getting a few hours of sleep, dealing with sleep deprivation is natural. Nik, on the other hand, isn't doing too well.

"A place." He growls as we walk through the doors of a small bar.

Okay, so maybe he sucks at dealing with lack of sleep. There is no maybe about it. He has been snappy for the past three hours. Don't even try to talk to him because he will just yell back at you.

We have stopped in a small bar looking place about two hours north south of Phoenix, Arizona in a small town called Globe. The town itself looks to be deserted with no form of life. The bar isn't much better. Granted, it is about 10 in the morning, but still don't people drink in the morning too?

"Hey Nik. Never thought I would see your face in here again." The older looking guy says, coming around the side of the bar to give Nik one of those bro hugs. I never really understood the point of those but whatever.

"Never thought I would have to come back here." Nik responds deadpan. "We will be upstairs sleeping then we will leave. We aren't staying for long." His tone left no room for arguing.

I wasn't about to start a fight with Mr. Grump Pants just because he can make this trip a living hell. I give the man a small smile before walking up the back steps to see a little room. This room has a bed with a mattress and a couch. At this point I am starting to miss our desert house. Maybe I should sleep too.

"Take the bed I will take the couch. Whatever you do, do not go downstairs okay." He says throwing his bags on the ground.

"Are you crazy? You take the bed. You need more sleep than I do." I fight back. He is insane if he believes I am going to let him get away with sleeping on an old worn out couch.

"Alyn…" Nik growls grabbing my shoulders, but I interrupt him.

"Nik, you will sleep on the bed. I am not fighting with you; I am telling you what you are going to do, understand?" I command him pointing over to the bed. Groggily, he nods and shuffles over to the bed where he promptly falls on it snoring.

I go lay on the couch for about 10 minutes before I realize no one in their right mind would ever sleep on that horrid thing. Looking over to Nik, who looks so peaceful, sprawled out taking up the whole bed; I don't want to wake him.

So ignoring what he said earlier I tip toe down the stairs to see what this place is. The bar takes up a full wall and there is a curtain that divides the bar into two parts. All the wood is dark cherry. It feels like you are walking into a family bar where everyone knows everyone and the bartender tells stories of the owners. It is a place that makes you feel wanted and safe.

"Hello Miss." The bartender from before says as he walks over to me.

"Hello, my name is Alyn Sage. What is your name?" In all of this, I have never lost my manners. I laugh inside my head at how polite I am being.

"My name is Taylor but everyone calls me Trick. It's always nice to meet one of Nik's friends, especially a lady such as yourself." I blush and roll my eyes at the comment but don't say anything more.

"So how long have you known Nik for? He doesn't bring people here." Trick asks trying to be casual but it is obvious he is trying to see if my relationship with Nik is more than just friends.

"Wow, how long have I know him? Maybe a week or a week and a half. He is really doing me a big favor. See, I am on the run from my family, and Nik is helping me get to New York where I will be safe." I tell him with a twinkle in my eye. I take a seat at the bar as Trick goes behind and gets me a beer.

"What's your story then?" Trick asks, interested in how Nik could get himself mixed in with a girl like me. To say I wasn't having fun telling my story would be a lie. Taking a sip of the beer, I launch into my story.

"Well, my mom died when I was a baby. My dad, because of my mother's death, locked me inside our house. I couldn't do anything without being watched, and I didn't have a life. So when I asked for freedom, my father hit me. I have been running ever since. I met Nik at a Starbucks. He asked if he could come with, and I said sure." I shrug like it's no big deal. "I may have broken a few laws on the way, but I just need my freedom. So my Dad and the rest of my family have been looking for me, and trying to capture me, so I can go back living a life of nothing. I don't even count it as living, more just like existing."

I might have played up the sad sorrow part of my story, but I need to know that Trick will keep his mouth shut about seeing me and Nik here. Vegas were too close of a call! The look Trick gives me reads you poor thing. No doubt if my father ever finds this place no one will say anything, good.

"I am sorry, Miss Sage. And I want you to know you have an ally in me as long as you get Nik to come back here every so often. We miss him." Trick seems to be looking at Nik like a son; it hurts to see that Nik just left this place without a word. I know from the outside people would call me a hypocrite but aren't we all just a bunch of hypocrites from the outside.

"So what is Nik's story?" I ask Trick, hoping he will take the bait. To my complete satisfaction he does.

"Well Nik's parents were not the best. His dad cheated on his mom with anything that moved and loved anything that was illegal. When Nik was born his dad bought this bar, and Nik was basically raised here. Nik first word was 'beer' and his first sentence was 'pass the jack.' When his dad started the Crystals that were the beginning of the end, but I am not saying you should feel sad for Nik. Not at all. We all loved him and, collectively, raised him for his first 10 years, but as soon as he could he left and never looked back. This is the first time in years I have seen him. You, Miss Alyn Sage, take good care of him, because he needs a good girl in his life." Trick finishes, and I feel a wave of emotions I never knew could go together.

I felt anger, hurt, happiness, and disbelief. Anger and hurt because of his dad and what a jack ass he is for putting is son through all of that. Happiness because things are starting to make sense about Nik. I understand why he is so guarded, and why he never says anything about his family. Finally, disbelief because how could I have not seen through his hard exterior to see that he is hurting. I am his friend, and I have spent every moment with him for the past week. I should have seen this. But instead of voicing my thoughts, I just laugh at Trick.

"I am not a good girl Trick. I am bitch, and I do what I want when I want, not caring about anyone else's feelings. You shouldn't trust him with me." I say in a small voice.

It is true. When I get to New York I am going to ditch him and go live with Aunt Zoe. It didn't matter how much he helped me. He will be left alone. If Trick honestly thinks that I am good for Nik, then Trick must not be a good judge of character.

"You are better than you think." Is all Trick says to me before replacing my beer.

I love Trick because he knows I needed something to take the edge off all this emotional talk. Trick is working his way into my heart. Stupid, considering, I am leaving whenever Nik wakes up, and I will never think about this place again. But I will let this warm feeling of family brewing in my heart stay for a bit. It's nice to know you can still have people looking out for you in the middle of craziness.

"Trick we will be on the other side." A voice calls. This voice is coming from a man who has to be mid thirties. He is herding in about thirty people all different shapes, sizes, colors, and genders. It is like the party just arrived. Sweet, I have wanted to party again.

"Who is this?" The man asks coming up to the bar and stealing my beer. How dare he?!

"She goes by Miss Baker. She is Nik's wife, so show some respect." I want to shout at Trick.

First off, I am not married, especially not to Nik. I cannot believe that Trick just said that! Looking at him with fury radiating off of me he just gives me a wink "They aren't telling anyone because she is a runner so just keep her on the down low. 'Kay?" Trick finishes. I don't know whether I want to hit him, kill him, or thank him for thinking of something for a cover story. I think I will go with kill him.

"Well do you want to loosen up Miss Baker, and welcome to the family." This man asks bowing before me like I am a queen or something. "My name is Mark Daniels, and I have been in this family for many years. So come and play with us." He asks again and, as creepy as Mark Daniels seems to be, I have nothing better to do.

"What the hell." I say, taking Mark's extended hand and hopping off the stool. I throw one more look over my shoulder to Trick before disappearing behind the curtain. How much trouble could I really get into? I have been told I am such a good girl that I can't possibly get myself into too much trouble. Does that even still apply to me anymore? Who knows? The answer to my question is I can find myself in a lot of trouble.

**NIK**

"Wake up!" Someone is shouting above me. Then I feel something cold. Like freezing! I shoot up to see Trick standing above me looking scared, and Alyn nowhere to be found. Shit! What did she do now?

"She is in the smoke room." Trick tells me guessing what is going through my mind. The smoke room is where everyone goes to do Crystal. Crystal is extremely similar to meth; however, it is infused with earth magic and spirit magic to make it the most addictive drug I have ever seen. Some people just have to smell Crystal to be hooked for life, and I was not going to let that happen to Alyn.

Jumping out of bed, I sprint down to the smoke room. Not caring that I was dripping wet with ice cold water. All that matters is that I get Alyn out of that room before she does something stupid. For a girl, who a week ago had never drunk anything but water, wouldn't say a cuss word for the life of her, and wouldn't ever burn down a house, she knows how to find trouble. She is like a fly to a light this girl.

Scanning the room, I see her laughing at a table towards the back with Mark Daniels and his closest friends. God, all Mark Daniels wanted to do in this world is ruin people's lives. But he couldn't have Alyn's no matter what. She is meant for greater things than to be a junky. She is better than that.

Before I can even realize what I am doing, I am already have her by the arm and am dragging her back to the bar with Mark following me. I swear to God, if she has taken anything, he will die. I will kill him slowly for ruining her life.

"How much have you taken!" I scream at her while checking her eyes to see the telltale signs being high. No red eyes, no dilated pupils, no color change of her eyes.

"What?" She asks, trying to shove my hands from her face, but I hold onto her tighter. God please tell me she hasn't had any.

"How much have you taken? The Crystal. How much have you taken?" I ask her my voice going from nervous to panicky. What if she has taken so much she can't remember anything?

"None." She says, finally managing to get me to take a step back from her. It was my turn to be bewildered. "I have not taken any kind of drug. Except" Oh god, there is an exception "except for a beer and a half." Relief washes over me and I hug her sighing. There is a God out there looking out for her. I wanted to relish in this happiness but anger replaced it, and I before I could get my anger in check, I turn around and sock Mark in the face sending him stumbling backwards.

"Why did you do that?" Alyn screams at me, hitting me on the shoulder to get my attention.

"That was for trying to get you hooked on the crap he is always pushing through here." I respond to her with anger lacing my voice. She just doesn't understand how close she was to loosing herself.

"Really? You punched a man in the face because you were afraid I would get hooked on a drug? Who the hell do you think you are? You can't just make decisions for me. I ran away from the last man who thought he could do that. You better be sure that if you think I will stick around so you can boss me around you have another thing coming." God she is so stubborn! I was saving her life.

"You don't get it! I just saved your life! You ungrateful brat!" I scream back her.

"Then explain it to me because I am not stupid. Hell I am smarter than you." She throws back in my face. Pinching the bridge of my noise I take a breath to calm myself.

"That drug is mixed with spirit magic to compel you to want more and more. And earth magic to make sure that when it leaves your system your body is drained completely. All you will want after your first hit is Crystal. All you will eat or drink till you die is Crystal. It is a slow and painful death. I have watched many people I love die because of it, and I won't watch you. For God's sake my own sister–Mark's wife–died four years ago because Mark forced her to take a hit. So sorry if I wanted you to be safe. Go right ahead and sign your death warrant, I am done with you." I tell her through gritted teeth as I leave the bar.

Why does she lump me in the same category as her father? I let her do whatever she wants, and I make her get out of her shell. If anything I am the opposite of that horrid man. She can't possibly think that I am like him.

"Nik, please wait." I hear Alyn call after me.

Turning to face her, I see her face full of worry. God I hate seeing her not smiling. Why does she do this to me? Why do I let her have this much control over me? I need to keep my space from her from now on. I have to, at the end of this, give her up to Jared. I can't let myself feel anything towards her, but looking back at her, I just want to hold her tight and keep her in my arms. God, why did you ever create this woman?

"Nik, I am sorry." Is all she says before launching herself in my arms.

I hold her tight not thinking of Jared, just glad she chose me over Mark, and that she is now safe. "I am so sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I did. I was just mad. I get that you want to keep me safe, but I suck at doing what I am told. I have to get in trouble for myself before I will listen." Of course she does. I laugh a little out loud and just squeeze her tighter.

"All forgiven. Let's get out of here." I say, pulling away from her slightly to see her beautiful face. I have to stop thinking about her like this.

"Don't you need more sleep?" She asks, completely unconcerned with herself. Laughing a full belly laugh, I just shake my head and push her to the car then I run back into the bar to get our stuff. I avoid hitting Mark again by some miracle.

Hopping into the driver seat I pull away from the bar leaving a cloud of dust and broken memories in my wake.

**ALYN**

We have been driving for about an hour now. Both of us not saying a word but enjoying the silence together. Well, it isn't real silence since we have the radio on, but you get the point. Then I hear the intro to one my favorite songs and I couldn't help turn it up and sing along.

You've got the bullets  
I've got the gun.  
I've got a hankering for getting into something

I hit the bottle, you hit the gas,  
I heard your 65 can really haul some ass.

"What is this crap?!" Nik yells turning down the music. He can be such a party pooper!

"Hey, this is not crap. And it's Fastest Girl in Town by Miranda Lambert." I say sticking my tongue out at him.

"So basically crap." Nik says like a smartass.

"I am offended by that!" I say placing my hand over my heart faking a hurt expression.

"Well, if you want to sing a song. I know a place you can do that at." Nik tells me right before he takes a hard right almost killing me.

"A Karaoke bar?" I ask as we get a small table while listening to a girl sing really badly. She is so bad that you can't even understand the song she is singing. It all sounds like a cat murdering another cat; slowly murdering another cat. God, when will she end?

"Yes. You were so up for singing in the car. What is the difference?" Nik says, taking a sip of the beer he got.

"The difference is that I was only singing for myself – and you by default – not for a bunch of drunks. Nik just laughs and shakes his head. I swear he enjoys my pain and it's like his sole mission to make my life hard. He sucks.

"Very good." The guy on stage says "Now, who would like to follow up that performance?" No one said a word. The guy on stage started to sweat not sure what to do until Nik opened his big fat mouth.

"My friend would love to sing!" Nik screams and points at me. The spot light falls on me, and I want to kill Nik. I don't care if he is riding with me to New York I will kill him for this.

"Well, come on little lady." The man on stage, clearly not understanding that I do not want to sing, motions me to come on stage. I reluctantly go up on stage and pick a song I know. It is one I heard on the radio like yesterday night but I was too tired to care. Now it is my lifeline. I hope I don't make a fool of myself. I pick "Here's To Never Growing Up" By Avril Lavigne.

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs  
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love  
I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk  
Singing here's to never growing up

Call up all our friends  
Go hard this weekend  
For no damn reason,  
I don't think we'll ever change

Meet you at the spot,  
Half past ten o'clock  
We don't ever stop,  
And we're never gonna change

Say, oh just say forever, stay  
If you stay forever, hey  
We can stay forever young

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs  
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love  
I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk  
Singing here's to never growing up

We'll be running down the street, yelling kiss my ***  
I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that,  
When the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups  
Singing here's to never growing up  
Oh woah oh woah here's to never growing up  
Oh woah oh woah here's to never growing up

We live like rock stars  
Dance on every bar  
This is who we are,  
I don't think we'll ever change

They say just grow up but they don't know us  
We don't give a f**k and we're never gonna change

Say, oh just say forever, stay  
If you stay forever, hey  
We can stay forever young

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs  
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love  
I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk  
Singing here's to never growing up

We'll be running down the street, yelling kiss my ***  
I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that,  
When the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups  
Singing here's to never growing up

Oh woah oh woah here's to never growing up  
Oh woah oh woah here's to never growing up

Say, won't you stay forever stay  
If you stay forever hey  
We can stay forever young

Ohhhhhhh

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs  
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love  
I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk  
Singing here's to never growing up

We'll be running down the street, yelling kiss my ***  
I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that,  
When the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups

Singing here's to never growing up  
Oh woah oh woah here's to never growing up

Oh woah oh woah ( raise your glass and say )  
Here's to never growing up

I finish singing and the whole place erupts into applause, people are standing up, and others are shouting at me. I can feel my face turning bright red as I give the mic to the guy who called me on stage and head down to where Nik is standing and get a hug.

"You were amazing! How come you have never told me you can sing? I was hoping you would make a fool of yourself, but you were amazing." Nik gushes as we take our seats and the guy on stage starts to talk but I tune him out.

"Thanks asshole and it's not something I tell people. I don't like the attention." I say honestly. I have never wanted to be the center of attention. I just wanted to get through life without anyone ever seeing me.

"Well, those names hurt, by the way, and you deserve all the attention from the world, whether you want it or not." For some reason, his words hit a bit too close to home. I just shake my head and tune into this old man who has stepped up onto stage to sing a song for his daughter or something like that.

He's been sittin' by the phone since she left  
But it's time for work and he just can't be late  
So he grabs his old guitar and he plays a couple bars  
On the machine  
Then he softly sings

It doesn't matter what you've done  
I still love you  
It doesn't matter where you've been  
You can still come home  
And honey if it's you  
We've got a lot of makin' up to do  
And I can't hug you on the phone  
So hurry home

Tears begin to fall down my face as the man continues to sing, but the more he sings the more pain I feel. Without thinking, I just get up and run out of the bar, so I can sob in peace. I barely make it outside before I fall to the grown sobbing loud, not caring if I am an ugly crier or not.

I wonder if that is how my dad feels and if he really wants me home, not because I am like my mom but because he just misses me. The tears continue to flow the more I think about the reasons my dad is after me.

"Shhh..." Nik says in a soothing tone as he holds me close to his chest. I hold onto his shirt for dear life as my sobs become quieter and quieter.

"Nik." I squeak out.

"It's okay. I know you want to go home. I will take you home." Nik says trying to understand why I am crying but failing.

"I don't want to go home. I just want my dad to love me for who I am, not because I am the last he has of my mom. Why doesn't he love me?" I begin to sob again and Nik just holds me tight rocking me back and forth till I have gotten all the tears out of my system.

"I don't know why but I am here, and you have your Aunt and Uncle. And between the three of us you will feel loved. I promise." Nodding at everything he's saying my hand travels up to my neck and freezes.

"Nik, where is my necklace?" I say panic running through my veins. I haven't ever taken that necklace off.

"What necklace?" Nik asks perplexed as to my sudden mood change.

"My Gold necklace! It is a locket. I got it when I was younger, and I have never taken it off. NIK, WHRE IS MY NECKLACE." I need him to have it. I have gone through so much to protect that necklace, if it is lost then I don't know what I will do.

"Oh that gold thing … Last I saw it you were playing Black Jack ….." Nik trails off not wanting to deliver me the bad news that I had indeed lost the only thing I cared about. Tears swell in my eyes as I curl into a ball on the ground mourning my lost necklace.

"Oh, Alyn please don't cry." Nik says obviously panicking on how best to handle an emotional girl. "Here, have this one till we get you a new locket." Nik says showing me a tiny little bronze cross on a very long chain. For some reason it makes me laugh. I don't know why, but it does.

"Whose is this?" I question sitting up and taking it from his hands.

"It is mine. My mom gave it to me when I left the house. She said it would protect me from danger and harm." Looking at the little cross, I couldn't take it from him. It means too much.

"I can't take this." I say, trying to give it back, but Nik puts up his hands not willing to take it back.

"No. I want you to wear it since your other necklace is lost. When we find you a new necklace then I want mine back, okay?" I nod at his words because don't trust myself not to break down again as I slip it over my head. The chain is so long that the end of the cross hits my mid abs.

"I think we should hit the road again." Nik says, uncomfortable with my silence now.

"I agree." I choke out as tears threaten to fall. I will not cry. I tell myself as I get into the stupid Civic and we speed away. As soon as the car is going I fall asleep mentally exhausted from this crazy day.


	11. Wrong?

**A/N: Here is another Hurry Home chapter. I never expected this story to take off the way it is, and I am absolutely amazed with it. Dimitria has brought an awesome level to the story that I never could've thought of on my own, and is making writing it easier and easier with each chapter she does. Again, I know my parts of the story are really sad and boring, but this one is about to ramp up the excitement a lot more. Let's just say we will get to see more of Guardian Hathaway in her element. I'm kind of excited for it. **

**This chapter has been written by me. I hope you enjoy it. **

**ADRIAN**

As Rose drives us to Arizona all I can do is think and worry about my baby. I'm more than relieved and happy she wasn't in the little house when it burned, but it hurt to know the lengths she would go to just to stay away from me. It takes me back to the question I've been asking myself since the bar in San Diego. Did she really hate me that much? Had I really been that horrible of a father?

Knowing she had lost her virginity to a guy who was trying to turn her to darkness and would most likely kill her if she wouldn't turn to the dark makes everything hurt worse. She was constantly telling me that, even if she had the freedom to do it, she wouldn't spread her legs for anything that moved. She reminded me that I raised her to have more self-respect than that. Had one fight really changed all that? I hope not.

Unfortunately, the messed up bed in a Vegas hotel room and a broken, forgotten locket say otherwise. She and this Nik bastard were sleeping together while she was running from me. Sadly, this knowledge gives me more questions than answers.

Was Emmy sleeping with him because she actually cared about him? Or was it just another way for her to get back at me? Was there more too this than her hurt over me keeping her mother from her? Too many questions, and not enough answers. I suppose that's the story of my life. As a spirit user, it is something that I've gotten used to. I just never imagined it would be the case with my own daughter.

I find myself wondering if things would've been different if Emmalyn had been a boy. I imagine the single father thing would've been much easier if she was a boy. I wonder, though, if this would've happened, or if a boy would've understood the reason I did what I did better. I guess I'd never know.

Not for the first time in the last sixteen years, I find myself wishing Sydney was still with me. She understood girls so much better than I did, and I knew she would understand her daughter a million times better than I do. She would've been able to prevent this. She would've made sure Emmalyn lost her virginity at the right time with the right guy.

I sigh and grab the cross hanging around my neck. No, I hadn't found God in the last sixteen years, but Sydney was still what kept me grounded, and her cross was one of the few things that I had left of her. She had given it to me a few hours before our confrontation with Jared. She put it around my neck as I beg her not to surrender to him, and I haven't taken it off since. Some days, it was the only thing that kept me going.

"Oh Sage, I really need you right now." Tears stream down my face as I try to keep my mind from returning to the turmoil it was in when we found the little house in ashes back in Vegas. I never want to have to think that I've lost them both, ever again. Yet, I can't help but wonder if I had already lost Emmalyn, even if we get her back alive. "You'd know exactly what to do right now, and I would…"

It isn't until I hear the silence in the van that I realize I had been speaking out loud. Everyone, except Rose, is staring at me with looks of fear and sympathy. I swallow hard and do my best to pretend I hadn't just been talking to myself.

"Oh, Adrian." Jill says and throws her arms around me. "We will find her and bring her home. The two off you will fix everything."

"I wish I could believe that Jill." I sigh as I look out the window. "But what if she doesn't want to fix it?" Again, we are back to the same questions I've been asking since this road trip began.

"You are her father." Rose stated, "And she loves you, Adrian, no matter what. Take it from someone who had issues with her parents. While I never would've admitted it back then, even during the times I hated and resented my mother for all the things she didn't do, I still loved her. She was my mother, after all. So when the time came to fix things and heal our relationship, I did my part. Yes, it was hard for both of us, and we didn't always make it easier on each other. And she still won't be winning any mother-of-the-year awards, but we have a better understanding of each other. And I have nothing but love for her. Emmalyn will feel the same way."

I sigh. I had seen a lot of what Rose and Janine went through to get their relationship to a semi-normal mother/daughter one, and I wasn't sure how I felt about the process. They had done a lot of fighting during the first years Janine started making a regular appearance in Rose's life, but Janine was there for Rose during the worst moments in her life in a way only a mother could be. I had tried to do the same for Emmalyn, but she pushed me away. Would it always be like that?

"Worrying about what is going to happen when we find her is pointless until we actually find her." Christian says from his spot in the third seat with Lissa.

"He's right." Lissa places a hand on my shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "We know they are going to Arizona. Can Jackie tell us where in Arizona?"

"No." I answer with a small shake of my head. "She doesn't have anything personal of his, so her magic is extremely limited, and I have a feeling he is going to catch her soon. If that happens, he will probably cloak himself then we will be screwed seven ways to Sunday."

"So what you are saying is we need to have a back-up plan for when that happens as well as a way to get a better idea of where they are going." Rose says pulling over to the side of the highway.

"Pretty much." I say helplessly. It is starting to seem less and less likely that we will be able to find them without help from Emmalyn.

"Mark, get the queen's laptop out of the trunk." Rose orders opening her door. "Dimitri, do you mind taking over on the driving for a while."

"Not at all, Roza." Dimitri smiles as he climbs to out the door. "What are you going to do?" I hear him say as Mark is pulling Lissa's laptop out of the trunk and he and Rose are making the switch.

"I'm going to use some of our awesome new guardian technology to see if we can find what Nik Baker and his family have been up to over the last few decades." Rose answers, sliding into Dimitri's spot next to me. Mark hands her the computer as Dimitri pulls back onto the highway.

"Alright." Rose says as she's booting up the laptop. "Call Jackie back. Tell her what we are doing, and that I need the names of every member of the Baker family."

I pull out my phone and do what she's says.

"Did you find her?" Jackie asks after the third ring.

"Unfortunately, no." I answer. "We are working on a way to get a better idea of where they might be going. We were hoping you could give us the names of every member of the Baker family."

"I can only give you what I've heard through the magical grapevine." Jackie answers. "However, some witches and warlocks go by aliases."

"It doesn't matter." Rose calls. I didn't think a dhampir's extra sensory hearing was that good. "As long as I have a name, this new technology should be able to find everything on that particular person."

"Very well." Jackie replied. Rose hands me a pad of paper and a pen. "Nik is a junior. His father is Nik Baker Sr. From what I've heard about the man, he is into anything illegal and loves his women. His has never been faithful to awoman in his life, not even his wife.

"His wife is Ellen Baker. According to the grapevine, her maiden name was Richie. Despite her husband's infidelity, she loved him giving him two children, Nik and his sister, Annaliese.

"That's about all I know about them. Interestingly enough, you stopped hearing about the Baker family and coven several months after Emmalyn was born and Sydney was killed." Jackie explains. I make a mental note to have Rose try to find out if that information is connected or not.

"Thanks, Jackie." I say. "According to Rose, that's all we need. Can you keep trying to get a better lock on the two of them?"

"Of course. The coven and I are doing everything we can."

"I know." I tell her. "And you have no idea how much we appreciate it."

"Anything for you and your family." She responds. "I haven't forgotten that I owe you and Sydney my life, several times over. I'll be in touch if we find anything new."

"Thank you." I flip the phone shut and hand the pad back to Rose.

"Alright. Let's start with the man of the family, shall we?" Rose says typing in Nik Baker Sr. "There's a lot of information for it to sort through, so it may be a little while before we get a hit." She explains.

"So what exactly is this new technology?" I ask, not really interested just trying to find something to stop me from thinking about Emmalyn and what she is doing with Nik.

"As you know, they are many supernatural races out there. Lissa didn't realize that until a few years after becoming queen, but she has to liaison with them from time to time. Politics in these worlds are as crazy as they are in the Moroi world and some Moroi team up with other supernatural creatures to get what they want.

"We had an incident a few years back. A werewolf attempted to attack Lissa on orders from a Moroi rebel. We subdued him, but I decided that I wasn't going to be surprised like that again. With help from Abe, I was able to hack into some of the Alchemist technology and steal what I needed from them." She says that with no shame, and I can't help but smile at the criminal she's become since finding out who her father was.

"Again, with help from some of the more computer savvy guardians, I was able to develop a system that will tell me anything and everything about any given supernatural creature. It is so we can be prepared should we encounter other creatures who wish to hurt Lissa. From now on, we will be able to know all of a creature's weaknesses as well as their ties to other supernatural creatures.

"Unfortunately, it can't tell us if they will attack her, but we can be prepared if it does happen. We usually don't interact much with witches and warlocks, but there is plenty of information about them here. We should have no problem finding more exact locations of where they might go."

"Good." I say. I don't think I have ever been more grateful that my friendship with Rose had survived the train wreck that was us dating. She truly was one of the best people I knew. True, she had some issues back when she was just starting out, but Dimitri and the rest of us helped her get through those and become a better person. She would still do anything for the people she loved, but she was more conscious of what affect her decisions had on the people around her.

I open my mouth to tell her that, but the computer emits a series of beeps that cause her to smile.

"I got something."

She hits a few buttons on the screen and starts reading what she's found out loud.

"Nik Baker Sr. was born and raised in Arizona. He opened several small businesses in his lifetime, and the only one still standing is a bar in a town called Globe. It doesn't give a name." She starts mumbling as she continues to read the screen. I assume none of the information she is reading is important to us finding Emmalyn, but I make a note to ask her about it later. "Oh no, this is bad."

"What's bad?" I ask.

"Liss, you remember that problem we had about ten or so years ago?" Rose says.

"We've had lots of problems since I've been queen, Rose." Lissa answers. "You have to be a little more specific."

"This is the one where some spirit and earth users teamed up with some witches and warlocks to help them make 'the most addictive drug on the planet'." The words bring back the memory of those few months when Lissa had every spare guardian searching for everyone involved in the making of this drug. She arrested as many of them as possible. Unfortunately, we lost no less than twenty Moroi to the effects of this drug before she put a stop to its mainstream market.

"Yes." Lissa answers hesitantly.

"Well, I think we just found its original manufacturer." Rose replies, as my heart drops into my stomach. "The drug is called Crystal. The spirit magic inside compels the user to want more all the time. It's not an addiction. It is a forced habit. The earth magic leaves the person completely drained and wanting more. As we know, the drug gets you high and the magic ensures you stay addicted forever."

"You don't think Nik would try to get Emmy addicted, do you?" I ask unable to stop myself. I had helped Lissa and Rose with this case when Crystal first became an issue for the Moroi. I had seen the affects the drug had on Moroi, dhampirs, and humans alike. I had watched every single one of them die begging for more. I don't even want to imagine that happening to my Emmy.

"I doubt it." Rose answers. "According to this, Nik's sister, Annaliese, died from the addiction after her husband bullied her into taking her first hit. I saw complete strangers die from this, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I could only imagine how I would feel if someone I loved died from it."

"But if he doesn't get what he wants from her, getting her addicted would be the easiest way to get rid of her." I argue.

"As of right now, we have no reason to believe that Nik wants to get rid of her." Eddie stated from behind me. "He has done nothing but help her run and show her a good time. So until we see evidence to say otherwise, we have to assume that he wants to keep her alive."

"Easy for you to say, Castile." I snapped. "It's not your daughter out there running around with a dark warlock whose father manufactured a deadly addictive drug."

"Adrian, I understand you are upset." Jill says calmly. "But Eddie's just trying to help. You don't have to talk to him like that."

I sigh. She's right, of course. These were my friends in the car with me, and they were all just trying to help. It wasn't their fault that I was a horrible father whose daughter wanted to get as far away from him as possible. I should be thanking all of them, not yelling at them for making helpful comments.

"I'm sorry." I say after taking a deep breath. "I'm just worried about my baby."

"We know." Jill replied putting a hand on my shoulder. "We all are."

"Don't worry about it, man." Eddie says patting me on the shoulder. "I'd be feeling the same way if it was one of my boys."

"Does it say anything else about Baker Sr.?" I ask Rose.

"A lot, actually." Rose answers. "Jackie was right. He really is into the illegal stuff. Aside from manufacturing Crystal, he has been involved in several robberies, and a suspect in a few murders. He's never been convicted of anything, though. He disappeared several years ago."

"What do you mean?"

"According to this, he just vanished. No one knows what happened to him, not even his wife and son."

"Okay. Does it say anything about his son?"

"Just that he walked out on his parents when he turned eighteen." Rose reads. "He didn't like the kind of magic they were practicing, or what his father was doing."

"Nothing on where he's been staying, or if he has any friends?" I press.

"Not a thing. I'm sorry." Rose shakes her head.

"Run the mother and sister, then." I need to know as much about them as possible.

"What do you say we have a drink first?" Dimtri asks as he pulls into a small rundown looking bar. It is definitely a place not even I would've gone on my worst day. It looks dirty and disgusting.

"Why here?" I ask.

"While you guys were talking, I realized we are in a nice little town called Globe and this is a bar." Dimitri speaks slowly as if we were stupid, but I catch on right away.

I had been so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't even realize we had traveled so far. I didn't even know how long the drive from Vegas to Arizona should've lasted, but it didn't seem like enough time had passed.

"So we need a plan." Rose says before any gets out of the car. "We don't know if this is the bar? We don't want to go in there and say something before we know for sure."

"So we go in, get a drink, and do a little listening." I say. "If this place is owned by the magically inclined, it shouldn't take too long to figure it out."

"That might be the best plan we are going to get, Roza." Dimitri says getting a glimpse of Rose's disapproving look in the rearview mirror.

"Fine." Rose sighs. "No drinks for any of the guardians, though. "Even if this place isn't owned by supernaturals in could still be dangerous.

I shake my head as we climb out of the van and head into the dump of a bar. Rose's fears of danger prove to be unfounded the second we stepped into the bar. There are only four guys sitting at the bar, whispering with the bartender. One actually had a rag pressed to his nose trying to stem the flow of blood. Even if we did get attacked, the guardians would've been able to handle the situation. Hell, Lissa and I could probably handle the situation with one hand tied behind our backs.

"Welcome friends!" The bartender called happily when he saw us. He even spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. I guess they didn't get new patrons very often. "What can I get for you?"

"Your largest glass of whiskey, please." I say sliding into the stool a spot away from the guy pressing the rag to his nose.

"Two vodkas, please." Christian orders as he and Lissa sit beside me.

"Whiskey." Jill says. Apparently, the bond allowed us to have the same taste in liquor.

"And the rest of you?" The bartender questions after pouring mine, Jill's Lissa's, and Christian's.

"We don't drink." Rose answers as she and the others fan out around the bar.

He nods looking at the six of them like they were crazy.

"So what brings you to Globe?" He asks trying to keep the friendly bartender persona, but I can tell the guardians are making him nervous.

"Just passing through." Lissa says casually taking a sip of her vodka.

She starts talking and soon spirit allows her to have his full attention. He continues to talk animatedly with her while I tune into the conversation bloody rag man is having with his friends.

"If that bastard and his wife ever come back in here, I swear to God, they are both going to pay for screwing up my face." He says.

"No offense, but you kind of had it coming, Mark." The guy on his right said. "I mean, Trick told you she was Nik's wife and you still tried to push Crystal on her."

Those words are all I need to confirm our suspicions. This is Nik's father's bar, and they had been here. Even worse, these idiots had tried to get my daughter addicted to a drug that could kill her. That wasn't what really pissed me off, though. It was the little fact they got wrong.

I slam my drink down on the counter and walk over to the man with the rag, Mark, I think they called him. I haven't been this angry since before Sydney. To know my daughter was sleeping with Nik was one thing, but to hear they are playing husband and wife, well, that really boils my blood. I grab Mark by the shirt and slam him hard against the wall to his left.

"She is not his wife." I growl.

The bartender, who could probably sense trouble from a mile away had already abandoned his conversation with Lissa and was trying to push between us. Rose and Dimitri were on either side of me trying to pull me away from the man.

"Back off, man. Whatever is going on, we can talk about it." The bartender says trying to calm me down. "We don't have to get violent."

"He's right Adrian." Rose says. "Just let him go and we will talk."

I know they are right. Violence is not the way to get the answers I am looking for in this situation. I need to let go of my anger and discuss this in a calm and rational manner. Glaring at the man in my clutches, I let go of him. He slides back onto the stool where his buddies huddle around him.

"Now, what was that about?" The bartender asks.

"The Nik you are talking about," I growl. "Is that Nik Baker?"

"What's it to you?" Mark stands moving so he is only inches away from me.

"Just answer the question asshole." I growl getting right in his face. I was prepared to use compulsion if I had to.

"Yes. Now, what's it to you?"

"The girl he was with isn't he wife." I repeated. "She's a sixteen year-old runaway who really need to come home."

"How do you know that?" The bartender asks.

"How do you think?" I say raising my eyebrows at him. I really hope he didn't expect me to believe he was that stupid.

"You're the father." He says. I can see the little light bulb go off inside his head. If this wasn't such a serious situation, I would've laughed at the look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm the father."

"I think it best if you leave then." Mark says. "We don't know anything about her."

"See, I find that hard to believe considering this is the only Baker business that is still standing." I respond, inching closer to Mark. "If Nik was bringing a girl to Arizona, which we know he was, he would've stopped here. Possibly for a drink, or a place for them to rest."

"But you see." The bartender slid in between us again. "We are extremely loyal to the Baker's and I heard that girl's story. She doesn't want to go home, so no one should make her."

"You really don't know who you're messing with, do you?" I ask getting right down in his face.

"I know exactly what I'm dealing with vampire." He growls. "And, like Mark said, I think you need to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where my daughter went."

"Well, it's not gonna happen, so get off my property, all of you." He takes us all in, in one single glare.

I take a few deep breaths as clenching and unclenching my fists. This man's show of loyalty would've been something to be admired if it wasn't keeping me from finding my little girl.

I grab him by the shirt, using all of my vampire strength to lift him up so our eyes meet.

"Tell me where my daughter is." I growl focusing all of my energy on compelling the answer out of him.

"Your tricks won't work here vampire." He says. "We know how to protect ourselves."

"Fine then, protect yourself from this." I literally throw him backwards. It's not hard enough to really hurt him, but hopefully enough to scare him. I realize too late what a bad idea it was.

Before he even hits the ground, Mark and his buddies are closing in on us. Rose and the other guardians have already converged on the usand were preparing for a fight. Even Jill and Christian were preparing their elements.

"You don't want to do those boys." Dimitri says calmly. "You have no idea who you are dealing with."

"We know exactly who we are dealing with." Mark growls before making the biggest mistake of his life.

Even though there are five other guys in front of him, he attacks Rose. I imagine he was thinking the girl would be an easy target. He could get her down, then use her to make the rest of us leave. Boy, did he have another thing coming.

Rose holds up her hand, effectively blocking his punch. She then pulls back with her other arm and lands another punch right in his nose. He cries out in pain as she knees him in the stomach which brings him to his knees. She isn't finished yet, though. In order the point home, she gives him another good kick in his stomach. He falls on his face with all the fight literally taken out of him.

"Anybody else?" Rose asks holding up her hands in a come and get it gesture.

Every guy who had been prepared to attack step away from us with their hands in the air; I guess they really didn't know what they were dealing with.

The bartender has since gotten up and is walking toward us.

"Boys, take Mark upstairs." He says. "Let him sleep it off."

"Hang on a second boys." I say going over to Mark who is somehow still conscious. I make him look at me while I'm smirking down at him.

"If you ever try to give my daughter drugs again, this will feel like a love tap." I then kick him hard in the face. I know it wasn't necessary, but I need someone to take my anger out on. Everyone in the room, including the bartender, looks the other way as if I hadn't done anything. Wow, this guy must be a real sleaze ball.

"Alright." The bartender sighs, sitting at a table in the center of the room. "Let's talk."

Jill, Christian, Lissa and I join him at the table. The guardians stand around us prepared for anything. There was no way of knowing if Mark was going to come back for more.

"First of all, I'm Trick." He continues. "You don't have to introduce yourselves, if you don't want."

"I'm Adrian, and that's all you really need to know to have this conversation."

"Fair enough, Adrian. What do you want to know?"

"Did Nik and my daughter come in here?"

"Yes. There is a room upstairs. I keep it, in case Nik ever wants to come by and stay for a while. This is the first time he's come since his father's disappearance, and your daughter was with him. I assumed she was his girlfriend, but she made it clear they were just friends."

That news shocks me. It doesn't match what I'd seen in Vegas at all. If they were sleeping together, they had to be more than friends. Unless…No, I'm not even going to travel down that road. I refuse to believe my daughter would become someone's fuck buddy.

"She told me her story, and I promised I'd keep her secret. You see, Nik is like my son. I've pretty much raised him, and I would do anything for him. I didn't want her to be taken from him, because he needs someone like her. Plus, I figured her home life was miserable. I see now that she might have been over exaggerating things."

I sigh and put my head in my hands. Now, she's over exaggerating things to make people think I'm a bad or dangerous father.

"I can't tell you where they went, because Nik just came in, said they were leaving and took off." Trick continues. "I can assure you, though that she is in good hands. When Nik realized what Mark was trying to do, he dragged her out of that room," He nods toward a part of the room blocked off by a curtain. "Made sure she hadn't taken anything then punched Mark in the face."

I snort. As glad as I was that he had stopped Emmalyn from making a mistake like that, I can't let go of the things I've been told about him and his family.

"Don't." Trick shakes his head. "I know the rumors about him and the Baker family. I know what all the other covens say. Yes, his parents were bad people who used black magic, but Nik's not like that. He walked away from them when he was old enough to. He would never hurt a fly. He is the kindest, most gentle boy I know."

I'm not prepared to consider the idea that Nik Baker might be a good guy, so I shrug it off.

"Do you know of any place in Arizona they would go, if they weren't staying here?" Lissa asks from her spot beside me.

Trick shrugs.

"There are a few more bars and motels as you get into town, but I don't know if they would stop at any of them. Unfortunately, that's the best I can tell you."

"Thank you." Lissa says and stretches her hand out to him. Trick shakes it but doesn't reply.

"And Adrian, if they come back here, I'll be sure to tell her that she's wrong about you."

**A/N: What do you guys think? Do you like it? I was going to add a bit about them going to a motel for rest, but I thought this chapter was getting a little long. Besides, I like this slightly emotional ending here. I think it is good for Adrian to hear that he is a good father, right now. What do you think? **


	12. Everything Has Changed

**A/N: Chapter 12 is written by the amazing Dimitria! Remember to send her some love! **

**ALYN**

"_Hey, little girl," My grandma says coming up from behind me. "What are you doing?" _

"_I am going to be just like daddy! I am painting!" I exclaim; sending paint flying into the air. My grandma just laughs at me._

"_That you are! Who are you painting?" She asks_

"_Her!" I show my grandma the picture of the pretty lady I found lying around my dad's room. She has blonde hair and pretty eyes. _

"_Oh sweetie, maybe you should paint someone else." Grandma says while taking the picture out of my hand._

"_I don't wanna! Besides, I'm finished." Taking the wet painting, I run to my daddy, who is sitting on the couch, to show him my painting._

"_Daddy! Daddy, look at what I did! I am going to be just like you!" I say waving the painting around. Daddy just looks at the painting then looks back at me. _

"_Daddy, where are you going?" I ask as he gets up and walks away from me. "Daddy, don't you like it?" Tears start to leek from my eyes as I watch my dad retreat into his room. _

"_Sweetie…" My Grandma says, but I throw my painting on the ground and run for the safety of my room._

"_Daddy hates me!" I cry out as grandma holds me._

"_No he doesn't. It is today he lost someone important to him a few years ago. He is just sad that's all." But her words don't stop my tears._

"_You remember when Chester passed away?" I nod at the mention of my favorite bunny._

"_Well, you are still sad out that sometimes, right?" I nod as I start to understand what she is saying._

"_So daddy is just sad because he lost his Chester?" I ask_

"_Yes something like that. Your daddy loves you." _

"Wake up!" Nik's voice cuts through my dream. I can feel the tears running down my cheeks. Of course, I would be crying. "Are you okay?" he asks taking a seat on the edge of my bed. Scooting closer to him I wrap my arms around his waist breathing in the fact that it was just a dream.

"Just a bad dream." I tell him as truthful as I can be. After the bar incident Nik felt like we could both use some rest so we stopped at this little motel called Motel 8 for sleep.

"Okay, so I am adding tonight to the list." Nik declares to me while running his fingers through my hair.

"What list?" Most the tears have dried now, and I can fully relax in Nik's arms.

"The list of things we don't talk about." He says matter of factly

"Well what is on that list?" I ask him; curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well, we have your family, my family, your dad, dreams, my feelings for you, and your magic. Oh, and tonight is on the list as well." Floored I just stare at him!

"Well let's start talking then." I hated knowing that there were things that Nik was keeping from me. It felt like a black pit in my stomach, and I couldn't place why it was happening.

"You first." Nik retorts.

"Fine. I had a dream about a time in my childhood. I can't really remember how long ago it was. I just remember I was really young. Anyway, growing up, I have always wanted to paint. I think it is because my dad is an amazing artist. He can draw or paint anything but it has been awhile since I have seen him paint anything. Back then he'd still paint from time to time. I think it helped him deal with losing my mom."

"One day, I decided I was going to be just like him. I set up my own little easel, got my paints, and I was good to go. But I didn't know a lot of things to paint, so I snuck into my dad's office, and I looked through his things 'til I found a picture of a young woman with blonde hair. And I decided I would paint her. When I was finished painting, I went to go show my dad the painting. He looked at the painting then at me and got up and walked away.

"The picture was of my mom, and I had the worst timing. That day was the anniversary of the day my mom died. I was upset but my grandmother told me that my dad was just sad about losing her. But I learned that day, we don't talk about mom unless it has to deal with her death. I don't even know what happened to the picture I painted."

The tears start to well up again. If my mom was here she would know what do. She would talk to me, laugh with me, and just be there. God, I wish I had my mom.

"Your turn." I tell Nik trying to regain composer.

"Okay well…. I had a sister. Her name was Annaliese, but she would hit you if you ever called her that. She went by Anna most of the time. She was 10 years older than me, and all my favorite memories of her would have to be when she would tell me bed time stories. She was awesome at that. In fact, she was just a great story teller. She would dance on bar tops, sing really badly, but she was always smiling. Nothing could take away her smile.

"When I was ten, she met Mark. He wasn't always a bad guy. I believe he did love my sister, at one point. He would dote on her, buy her flowers, and go out of his way to make sure she knew he loved her. Within six months of knowing each other, they were married. About four months after their wedding, they announced they were expecting.

"Anna was so happy! She always wanted to be a mom, and she had what looked like the perfect family. At around the four month mark of the pregnancy, Anna miscarried. She had faith, so she believed her baby was up in heaven. But Mark didn't, and he desperately wanted someone to blame. That is when he got into pushing crystal.

"Anna got worried about him and told him to stop. However, that just made Mark mad. One night, he waited 'til Anna was asleep, and then he strapped her to a chair. He got some crystal and, while she was still asleep, he injected her with that God awful drug. She died about a month later."

By the end of Nik's story, his voice had become so hoarse I could barely tell what he was saying.

"Your turn." Nik insists as he pulls himself together.

"Well, my dad wasn't always as overbearing as he is now. When I was younger, I lived at court and went to a school called St. Vladimir's Academy. I could hang out with the people I wanted to, go where I wanted to, and I only had one guardian. Even though I am a damphir, I was treated like a royal moroi by my dad. I had a great childhood. I don't want you to think I didn't. My dad loved me and I was happy.

"When I started middle school, though, everything changed. I'm not a normal dhampir." I explained.

"Because your mom was human." Nik stated.

"Yes, and all the other novices—as they are called at St. Vlads.—had mothers who were dhampirs." I finished. "When they noticed I wasn't "normal", they started picking on me all the time. I would call and write my dad, begging him to let me go to a human school. Some days, I would pretend to be sick, so I wouldn't have to go. It took that entire first year, but my dad finally decide that I needed a break from my kind, and we moved to Palm Springs.

"Everything changed then. I had two new guardians, strict rules of places I could and couldn't go, and who I could and couldn't talk to and, for the most part, I was okay with it. Then I hit puberty.

"I stopped looking like my dad so much, and I started looking like my mom. I had her hair, and her skin tone, and her smarts, and it was like I was a mini copy of her. I didn't really care one way or the other. However, that is when Dad just lost it. I got more rules than ever before. I couldn't spend the night at friends' houses. I couldn't go really anywhere, except school with my two guardians. I was confined to my house.

"My dad also stopped talking to me like when I was younger. Everything was just surface level deep. I learned that we just didn't talk. There wer a few times when I would push him for freedom, and he would just get so angry at me. On more than one occasion he either called me 'Sage' or 'Sydney'.

"When I was fifteen, I realized that my dad hadn't seen me as Emmalyn, but as my mom. And he didn't want to keep me safe; he wanted to keep what he had left of my mom locked away."

I had never told anyone that. I had just kept my feelings to myself because that is what we did in my house. We never talked about anything, but talking about it now felt good. It felt like I could finally let all the pressure go. I could be Emmalyn, not Mini Sydney.

"Your turn." I tell Nik, wanting to hear more about his life. "Tell me about your mom." Nik takes in a long breath before he opens up about his mom.

"Well my mom's name is Ellen Zoe Baker. She is a witch and a very powerful one at that. She was raised in a small town in Ohio. The coven that she used to belong to did not do dark magic. They were a well respected coven and loved by many, but that wasn't enough for my mom. She got into dark magic thanks to her best friend turned husband, Nik Baker. Together, they learned all they could about dark magic. When her parents learned she was using dark magic, they kicked her and Nik out of the coven. They moved back to where his family lived in Arizona.

"No matter what happened though, my mom loved her kids. She was the greatest mom anyone could ever have. Even though my father cheated on her 'til the day he died, she stood by him and raised us the best she could. She would always smile, even if she was having a bad day, saying that it could all be worse. She always had a great meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I got hurt or was sad she was there for me. She never let my father belittle me or be evil to me. She could hold her own in any fight, and she won every fight she was in, whether it was a magical fight, a verbal fight, or a physical one. No one ever went up against my mom and won.

"I was definitely a mama's boy, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I really loved her."

Nik stops and drops his head on my shoulder as small sobs escape him. I just hold him tight knowing this is something he has to get out. Like me talking about my dad, Nik needs to talk about his mom. From what he has told me of his mom, she is an amazing woman.

When Nik stops crying we just stay there in a fog of tension; neither of us knowing what to say.

"So your dad's name is Nik, too?" I ask trying to bring some humor back into this room.

"Yes, I am a junior." Nik tells me with no humor in his voice.

"Can I call you Junior, now?" This gets a laugh out of him.

"No you may not! No one not even my parents ever called me that. What makes you so special?"

"I am just naturally special! It is a gift that very few have. And if I can't call you Junior, I want a special nick name I can call you! Because everyone calls you Nik; I want to be different." I declare to him as I watch his smile come back to his face.

"Well, tell me your real full name, and I will tell you my full name." Great, now he is making me work for it.

"Fine my real name is Emmalyn Danielle Ivashkov." Nik's mouth hangs open as he hears my last name.

"Ivashkov as in Adrian Ivashkov, second best friend to Vasilisa Dragomir, Queen of the Moroi?" I just nod as Nik soaks up all this information. "So we are running from the royal guard, the queen, and your dad?" I nod again.

Panic suddenly freezes me. What if knowing this causes Nik to abandon me? What if he runs for the hills, because he doesn't want to deal with my messy family? I didn't think I could handle it, if he left me. Instead of leaving, he does something that surprises me; he starts to tickle me. Every thought of my dad and his friends leave my mind as all I can concentrate on is kicking Nik off of me which really isn't helping.

"Why did you do that?!" I yell at him after he has finally stopped tickling me.

"I did it because I like seeing you smile." Nik answers sheepishly "By the way, my name is Nik Davis Baker the second."

"Did you really need to add 'the second' onto your name?" I ask him, puzzled that he would do that.

"Well I am in the presence of a princess I should try and be more royal." I hit him really hard for that comment.

"I am not a princess." I growl at him. I have never thought of myself as a princess, nor will I let Nik call me that.

"Owe! Okay, not a princess, my bad." Nik says, rubbing his hands on the back of his head.

"I will call you Davis." I declare to the world.

"Why Davis? I hate my middle name." He can be such a baby sometimes.

"Because you are nothing like your father, so the name Nik doesn't fit anymore." I tell him in a low voice. The smile Nik gives me makes me want to kiss him. I love that warm, you are the most amazing person in the world smile, especially if it is directed towards me.

"Okay, Dimitri and I will take the first shift, Eddie and Mikhail will take the second, and Brandon and Micheal get third. Got it?" A loud female voice that causes my blood to run cold says as footsteps sound outside our room. Silence follows, and I assume the others are nodding at her words. "Jill doesn't want us to resume searching until Adrian is in a better state, and I agree. He's not ready to finish this."

Ignoring the fact that she just admitted my dad was a complete mess I stared at Davis in absolute horror. I would know my Aunt Rose's voice anywhere. The question was: How did they find us again?

"Crap!" Davis and I say at the same.

"Do you know who that is?" he asks me.

"Yes that is Rose Hathaway, the Queens guardian and my dad's other best friend." I whisper to Davis afraid they'll be able to hear me through the door. "We need to get out of here."

"How do they always find us?" Davis growls

"I don't know! I am blocking them so they can't magically track me, and I am sure you are doing the same. You are doing the same right?" I ask as we hop out of the bathroom window.

"No, I am not, but I will start."

Okay, all we had to do is get out of here, and we will be safe for the most part.

Walking around, I can see Dimitri and Rose just down the hall.

"That really tall guy down the hall and the short girl next to him are my Aunt Rose and Uncle Dimitri. Don't let Rose's size fool you, she is the best guardian around and her boyfriend, Dimitri, is the second best. You do not want to have to fight them." I whisper.

Davis pulls me up against himself on the opposite wall as Rose and Dmitri both look in our direction. I stopped breathing at that point in time. I close my eyes knowing what will happen next. There is no way we can get to our stupid Civic without Rose seeing us.

A roll of pain hits me and, for a moment, I don't know where I am. Opening my eyes, I can see that I am in the Civic on Davis's lap. If this had been any other time, I would be blushing like crazy, but right now, we have to get the hell out of here. Jumping into the shot gun seat, I buckle up and we drive off.

"Looks like it is going to rain." Davis says.

We have been driving for the past five hours. We crossed into New Mexico about thirty minutes ago, and all I can see is sand. There is nothing in New Mexico but a giant desert, and it does look like it is going to rain.

"I hate New Mexico." I state with bitterness seeping into my voice.

"I am sorry. Go to bed, and when you wake up, we will be in Texas."

"Why is Texas better than New Mexico?" They both sound horrid.

"Well, in Texas there are guns and, while we are there, we are going to shoot some."

Well, that raised my mood. I have always wanted to learn how to shoot a gun; my father told me I would always have a guardian around to guard me so I didn't need to know that skill. I think he just thought a gun was too dangerous for his museum piece.

"Well, I can't wait for Texas, then."

Just as the words left my mouth a crack of lightning crosses the sky making me jump. It is as if that was the signal, because the sky opens up, and raindrops the size of golf balls start to fall down onto the desert sand.

"Pull over!" I scream at Davis, and he does as I ask. Before the car is even off, I jump out and run into the rain; my clothes getting instantly soaked through.

"What are you doing?!" Davis yells from behind me.

"I am living! Haven't you ever wanted to play in the rain?" I shout back.

"You have never played in the rain before?" Davis asks as if it is something all kids have done. He was now right in front of me; those beautiful eyes boring into mine. He is something else.

"My dad was afraid I would get sick and die." I say

"Then I dare you to a magical fight!" Davis proclaims.

"What?" I ask; completely dumbfounded

"You haven't played in the rain 'til you have had a magical fight in the rain."

Well, if that is the case…

Within seconds, Davis is flying backwards landing hard on the sand.

"Hey, no fair!" Davis shouts.

"I didn't know you wanted to play fair!" I call back, but then I feel the breathe leaving me. It is so on! I concentrate on my magic, and I feel it instantly flare up inside me. Then I send a flash of it out towards Davis. He wasn't expecting it, so he falls down breaking his spell. With narrow eyes he screams "Game on!"

We go back and forth for hours. I send a fire ball his way; he makes the earth open up beneath me. By the end of our fight we are both covered in rain, sweat, and sand, but neither one of us cares at the moment.

I send up a spell that makes him blind and immobile. "Are you going to give up yet? I can go all night." I taunt him.

I can see all this magic use is taking a toll on him but, right now, we are in a war. I can't care about him too much.

"Fine. You win, Alyn!" He screams, and I begin to jump for joy. I take away the last spell and run to him to make sure he is okay.

"Are you okay, Davis?" I ask worry filling my voice.

"You are the only winner I know to ever feel sorry for wining." He comments taking me into his arms. "I am better now that you are in my arms." He muses more to himself than to me. This reminds me of something he said last night.

"Are we ever going to talk about it?" I ask vaguely.

"Talk about what?" Davis asks, still holding onto me tightly,

"Talk about your feelings for me. Or does that stay on the list of things we don't talk about." I take a deep breath. Davis smells like rain and boy, and it is amazing.

Pulling slightly apart, Davis looks down at me, his face full of every positive emotion known to man. "I have feelings for you." He states then –as if he is afraid I would run away from him – he slowly brings his lips to meet mine. I have recently wondered what kissing him would be like, and my imagination sucks, apparently. His lips are soft and gentle. It wasn't a possessive kiss or a lust filled kiss but a sweet loving kiss. It was perfect in every way.

"I am glad you have feelings for me," I say as well finally pull away "because I think I have feelings for you too."

"You just think you do?" Davis asks in a teasing voice.

"Maybe you should kiss me again so I can make sure." I propose, and he doesn't have to be told twice.

This kiss has a bit more heat in it. Davis's arms tighten around me and somehow pull me even closer to him. My hands find themselves tangled in his hair, pulling his lips closer to mine. Not being able to take it, I open my mouth and invite him into taking this kiss one step further. A small moan comes out of me as I feel his tongue in my mouth. Desire fills me, and my tongue finds itself in his mouth as Davis's hand moves from around my hips to under my ass, picking me up and walking me to sit on the roof of the stupid Civic. One of my hands stay in his hair as the other wraps itself around his shoulder begging him to be closer. My nails start to dig into his shoulder as a growl comes up out of him. I want more of him. I need more. It is as if he has all my air and to get it back I have to kiss him. I have to be closer with him. But all too soon he pulls away, resting his head against mine.

"So I have feelings for you as well." I say awkwardly, remembering how I got him to kiss me again.

"Good." He states as his hand cups the side of my face, and I lean into his hand.

"I love how I can be real with you." The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them "I love how it is okay to laugh, cry, and yell in front of you. I love that I don't have to pretend to be what everyone expects of me. I can be as loud and crazy as I want when I am with you."

"I know the feeling babe. But we need to get a move on or we run the possibility of your dad catching us, and I don't want you to be taken away from me." Why does our moment have to end?

"Me either." I tell him. I slide off the hood of the Civic and get into the driver seat. No way am I letting Davis drive after using up so much energy fighting with me and then making out with me.

As soon as we hit the road, Davis is asleep, and I have a huge smile plastered on my face. No matter if my dad does find me and take me away, I will never regret this trip. I am learning so much about myself and life. I don't think I will ever be the same.

**A/N: What do you guys think of this one? I love Dimitria's work so much. We are planning the most amazing stuff for you guys. I'm getting so excited just thinking about it. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **


	13. Thinking of You

**A/N: The terrible twosome is back for more! Sometimes, I think Dimitria and I are just as excited about this story as our wonderful readers. Even when our lives get too bust for us to actually work on our own chapters, we are talking about it and coming up with new amazing ideas. We've got some awesome stuff planned for our heroes in the coming chapters. I can't wait until you guys get to read it all. **

**So, his chapter has been written by me, and I'm giving all of you a special little treat. This chapter is going to be split between Adrian's P.O.V. and Rose's P.O.V. I just decided that I was going to shake it up a little. Plus, she is going to make a decision that will piss Adrian off big time. Hope you all enjoy. **

**ROSE**

Trick gave us a list of bars and hotels in Arizona where he thought Nik would take Emmalyn. It was a long but manageable list. After a long conversation, we had decided we were going to rent four more cars and split up while we were in Arizona. True, it wasn't as big as Vegas, but now that we had specific places to look, we would benefit from a split.

Jill had insisted that we check into a hotel for the night, though. Adrian wasn't doing too well, and we could all benefit from a little sleep before we continued our search, especially the dhampirs. Eddie, Dimitri, Mikhail, Mark, Brandon and I were dead on our feet. Our training wouldn't even allow us to fall asleep while we were driving. The Moroi drifted in and out of sleep during those hours, but the rest of us couldn't.

It took a lot of convincing on Jill's part to get Adrian to take a break. He didn't want to give up until Emmalyn was back in his arms. It was Jill's reminder that it wouldn't do Emmalyn any good, if her father had died from stress and exhaustion while he was trying to find her that finally convinced him to get some rest.

That was how Dimitri and I found ourselves walking the hallways of a small Motel 8 keeping an eye out for any sign of danger when both of us would rather be sleeping. Being the "leaders" of the group, however, required us to take the first watch.

I stifled a yawn as we said goodnight to Eddie, who had been the last one to go to bed.

"Do you think we should split up?" I asked Dimitri when I had the yawn under control. He snorted, but shook his head.

"This place is small enough that we really don't even need to move." He answered. "As long as we can see the front door and the doors to the others' rooms, we are good."

"Thank God. I don't think my legs can handle walking the halls for the next two hours. I'm exhausted." I said wrapping my arms around him and laying my head on his chest.

"I know, Roza. I am too." He whispered pulling me closer to his body and kissing me on top the head.

We had become excellent at blurring our personal life with our professional life over the years. Just because we were getting in a little snuggle time, didn't mean we couldn't see exactly what was going on around us.

"When this is over, you and I should take a short vacation." Dimitri continued. "Maybe visit me family? What do you think?"

I opened my mouth to tell him that I would really like that, but a small movement down the hall and around the corner caught my attention. I pulled away from Dimitri and headed toward that corner.

"Rose, what is it?" Dimitri whispered.

"I swear, I just say someone with blonde hair looking at us." I whispered back.

"You don't think…" He started, but I nodded cutting him off. "But it's too much of a coincidence."

I didn't respond as we got closer to the corner. If it had been her, I didn't want to scare her away. She had no doubt seen us, but I couldn't be positive if she realized I had seen her.

"Emmalyn Danielle Ivashkov," I said using my most stern voice as we got to the end of the hallway. "I know you're over there, and I you don't come out right now, your father will be the least of your worries."

I knew that probably wasn't the best way to get her to surrender herself, but what can I say, the more things changes, the more they stay the same. I had gotten good at my impulse control, but it was hard to hang on to when I was as worried about and angry as I was with my niece. I wasn't sure if I was going to hug her or throttle her when she came around that corner. All I knew was that she had hurt her father, my best friend—other than Lissa, of course—terribly, and she really needed to come out and make it up to him.

Dimitri and I waited a whole sixty seconds for her to surrender on her own before we rounded the corner. In those sixty seconds, I heard the distant sound of a car starting in the parking lot. I didn't think anything of it. Emmalyn would've had to pass us in order to get to the parking lot. She hadn't come out, though, so we stepped around the corner to confront her.

Only, no one was there. It was just another long hallway.

"What?" I said unable to believe what I was seeing. "She was here, I'm sure of it, and there was no way she couldn't gotten away without walking right by us."

"Unless she used magic." Dimitri stated.

I shook my head.

"Adrian said Jackie hadn't gotten to teaching her that kind of yet." I told him. "According to her, there are a handful of things you need to learn before you can shimmer, as those magically inclined call it."

"Would this Nik be advanced enough to do it?"

I slapped myself in the forehead. In the excitement of possibly finding her, I had forgotten that Nik probably knew a shitload more magic than Emmalyn did.

"I didn't even think about him." I said as I started running for the door.

"Rose, where are you going?"

"Didn't you hear that car start just after I called her out?"

"Yeah, but we can't be sure it was them."

I burst through the door and did a quick survey of the parking lot. My guardian training had given me a photographic memory, and I had done a thorough scan of the parking lot on our way in. The only car missing from when we checked in was the little Honda Civic that Eddie had parked the van next to.

"Son of a bitch!" I cursed as memories of another great escape came tumbling into my mind.

"What is it, Roza?" Dimitri asked putting his arm around me.

"Let's just say, I don't think you're the only one who thinks Hondas make good getaway cars."

**ADRIAN**

While I felt like a child being babysat, I had to admit having Jill sitting with my while I tried to get some rest was a nice comfort. Lissa and Rose had always claimed the bond didn't work both ways, but I had to disagree with them. True, I couldn't read Jill's feelings just like Lissa could read Rose's feelings, but Jill's presence alone had always been a great comfort to me, just as Rose's was always a comfort to Lissa. If you ask me, that was definitely a two way bond.

No matter what the circumstances, I was always able to find peace when Jill was with me. Even now, when my baby girl was out there with a warlock, who I haven't yet decided if I liked or not, and in danger from her worthless grandfather, I couldn't help but be feel reassured by Jill simply being in the same room with me. She said we would find Emmalyn and bring her home, and I believed her with everything in me. Just lying there and listening to her humming what sounded like a lullaby, was enough to lull me into a restless sleep.

The sweet peaceful blackness of sleep lasted for only a short time before a dream began to take shape around me. Spirit allowed me to recognize it as a normal dream and not another spirit user trying to get in touch with me.

_When the scene settled, I was standing in the living room of the apartment I had when Emmalyn and I lived at Court watching myself sitting on the beat up old couch I bought for the apartment Sydney asked the Alchemists to give to me. The Alchemists had given it away when the ransacked the place after Sydney and I escaped to court, but I was able to buy it back from a garage sale a few years later. I knew it was the same couch, because of the feeling I got just looking at it. _

_I was just sitting there, staring at nothing with a glass of whiskey in one hand, and what looked like a picture fram clutched to my chest. My heart broke as I remembered what moment this was. And I wished desperately that I would wake up, but my subconscious wouldn't listen to me. _

_This was the fifth anniversary of the day my angel died, and I was still having a hard time dealing with the pain of it. I continued to watch as a younger version of my mom walked in and sat down beside me. When Emmalyn was younger, mom would visit on that particular day every year to help me look after Emmalyn. All of my friends would help me that day. Lissa and Christian were actually going to take Emmalyn to a movie later that afternoon. Lissa just needed to finish some queen duties. _

_Mom put her hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. _

"_Emmalyn's in her room setting up an easel and some paints." She whispered. "She wants to be an artist just like her daddy. Maybe you should go watch. Maybe you can teach something." _

_I closed my eyes and braced myself for past me's answer. I couldn't believe that I said that._

"_Maybe later." _

_My daughter wanted to be just like me, and I blew it off like it meant nothing to me. The truth was: It meant the world to me. Emmalyn meant the world to me. Just like her mother. Yet, that day, I couldn't find the will to go see what my daughter was doing. All I could do was wallow in misery over the death of her mother. _

_God, what kind of horrible father was I? No wonder she ran away from me and into the arms of a stranger. _

_My mom sighed and walked away. She was no doubt headed back to Emmalyn's room hoping to distract her from the fact that her father was a little crazy today. _

_I wanted to wake up so bad after that because I knew what was going to happen next, but my subconscious held me there. It was almost like it knew I needed to see all of this. _

_Sure enough, a few minutes later, a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes comes running out of her room with a large piece of paper in her hand. Emmalyn was so adorable back then. So happy and full of life. It was hard to realize this was the moment I took all that from her. _

"_Daddy!" She yells stopping directly in front of me. Past me straightens a little and tries to look like he isn't lost in his own personal hell. I sigh, knowing what happens next. I don't want to watch, but I can't seem to look away. "Daddy, look at what I did! I am going to be just like you!" She waves the painting around for a minute, before holding it still enough for me to really look at. _

_If I hadn't been so shocked and upset by what I saw, I would've admitted that it was beautiful, even for a five year-old but I couldn't at the time. All I saw staring back at me in the picture was the woman I loved more than anything else in the world._

_While the picture was only of her face, I knew exactly what it was. It was back before Zoe found out about Sydney and I. She was visiting Jared, so Sydney took advantage of her absence to have fun with the rest of us, like we used to. We went to the beach, and Jill, who had found a new love in photography, was taking pictures. This was a candid shot of Sydney looking at the ocean with a smile on her face. _

_It wouldn't have been so bad, if that didn't bring back so memories of that day; memories that I really couldn't handle. I look back at Emmalyn unsure of what to say. How do you explain something like this to a five year-old, whose idea of evil is a monster under the bed? I just couldn't, so I got up and walked away._

_The me watching the scene, knew what happened when I went to my room, so I stayed and watched Emmalyn, instead. _

"_Daddy, where are you going?" She called after me. "Daddy, don't you like it?" Tears were running down her cheeks and I wanted so badly to go to her and hug her. Why was everything in my life so fucked up? Why hated I seen what wallowing in my own pain had done to my little girl. _

"_Sweetie…" Mom said coming into the room. There was a look of irritation at me mixed with concern for her granddaughter on her face. Emmalyn threw down the painting and ran to her room. Mom followed her._

"_Daddy hates me!" I heard my little girl practically scream as someone started shaking me. _

"Adrian, wake up!" Jill's voice pulled me out of the dream. "Whatever it is, it isn't real. Just wake up, and we can talk about it."

I opened my eyes to see her leaning over me. Her face was full of concern and tears filled her eyes. Wetness on my cheeks alerted me to the fact that I had been crying. I quickly swiped at the tears. Sydney was the only person to ever see me cry, and I hated that Jill was witnessing it now. I always tried to be strong for her, because she needed me.

"What were you dreaming about?" Jill asked.

I sighed and sat up, kicking the blankets off my legs. I pulled my knees up to my chest and laid my head on them.

"The day I destroyed everything important to me."

**ROSE **

"Are you sure it was her?" Lissa whispered as we tiptoed past Adrian's room.

When I realized that Emmalyn and Nik had most likely gotten away in the Civic we had parked next to, I decided to wake Lissa and Christian. I knew they both needed their sleep, but I really needed to Lissa's help more. I needed to be absolutely 100 percent sure it was Emmalyn before I even thought about bringing up to Adrian, which is something that I hadn't even decided to do, yet. I couldn't decide if it was a good idea or not.

I needed more information before I made a solid decision. It was one of the biggest lessons that Dimitri had ever taught me. In fact, it was the one that stuck with me the longest. I wasn't going to do anything until I could give my friend at least a little good news.

"I'm almost positive, but that's why I need you." I answered Lissa. "I need you to compel the receptionist into telling us if she was here, and to give us the key to whatever room they were in.

"I can do that." Lissa answered with a sigh. She took a couple of deep breaths before walking over to the desk and engaging the receptionist. Christian, Dimitri, and I hung back. We didn't want to look too suspicious. Besides, I always felt weird while watching her do compulsion.

"So what happens if it was really her?" Dimitri asked. "I mean, are we gonna tell Adrian."

"It all depends on what we find in the room." I answered. "I'm not going to get his hopes up if this isn't anything."

"He deserves to know, Rose." Christian argued.

"Have you seen Adrian lately?" I snapped glaring at Christian. "I'm not going to do or say anything to make it worse."

Christian opened his mouth to say something else, but Lissa's return cut him off.

"Bad news: They were here, and the receptionist confirmed that they pulled up in a Civic." Lissa said as she approached. "Good news: They didn't officially check out, and he gave me the key."

"Let's have a look, then." I said.

It turned out the room they had was only a few down from ours.

"They probably heard us talking to Eddie and the others." I told Dimitri. "You know, while we were making plans." We had been walking by the room when I used every one of the guardians' names. If Emmalyn hadn't recognized my voice, she would've recognized our names and the guarding tactics.

"I always said you had a loud mouth, Rose." Christian said in his usual snarky tone. If it hadn't been for the seriousness of the situation, I would've said something equally snarky or just popped him in the back of the head.

As it was I simply said,

"Not now, Christian."

Lissa unlocked the door and opened it slowly and quietly. I doubted they were still in here, but the element of surprise would do us good if that was the case. We stood frozen in the doorway, listening carefully.

"No one's here." I said, stepping into the room.

It was obvious they had left in a hurry. The only bed in the room had been messed up—definitely not telling Adrian about that—and three or four bags were sitting around with clothes spilling out of them. I guess when you had 3.2 million dollars you didn't have to worry about taking your stuff with you.

"So, what are we looking for?" Chrisitan asked as he grabbed one of the bags that looked like it belong to a boy.

"Anything that will give us any kind of indication of where they are going next." I answered. "Or anything that could help lead us to them in the end."

I grabbed the purple backpack I had gotten Emmalyn when she left St. Vladimir's. Purple was her favorite color, plus it was big enough to fit everything she would need at a human school in it. Considering, Lissa and I spent two years going to one, I would know.

There were no school books in today, though. There weren't even clothes or any other essentials. Just a photo album, a map, and what looked like some kind of scrapbook. There was also assorted herbs and powders. I assumed they were for doing spells.

I flipped quickly through the photo album to find that my niece was quiet the little thief and hoarder. There were pictures of Sydney as well as other things I'm sure Adrian never shared with her. She even had some snapshots of her parents' wedding rings. Photos of the time Sydney spent with the gang in Palm Springs. She even had pictures from Sydney and Adrian's wedding.

My heart broke a little for her as I full realized what growing up without Sydney had been for her. I knew what it was like to grow up not knowing you mother, but at least mine was still alive. At least, I had gotten the chance to build a somewhat functional relationship with her. Emmaly didn't even have that. I doubted she knew anything at all about her mother. I could only imagine how much that must have hurt.

Tears filled my eyes as I realized that Adrian wasn't the only one who made mistakes in raising Emmalyn. Every one of us from Adrian right down to Christian had screwed up. We had tiptoed around the subject of Sydney all of Emmalyn's life, so we wouldn't upset Adrian.

We should've been pushing Adrian to talk to his little girl about her mother. We should've been the one to talk to her if Adrian wouldn't. We shouldn't have acted like Sydney hadn't existed.

"Are you alright, Roza?" Dimitri asked coming to sit beside me on the floor.

"Yeah." I said, wiping my eyes. "Just thinking about how badly we screwed up."

"What do you mean?" Lissa asked.

"Adrian wasn't the only one who should've done more talking about Sydney." I said, flipping the album around to show Lissa, Christian, and Dimitri the picture of Adrian and Sydney's wedding party—me, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Jill, Eddie, Mikhail, and Sonya—smiling for the camera just after the happy couple too their vows.

"We will just have to make it up to her when we get her back." Christian said, and I could've sworn I heard his voice crack. "Wallowing in it isn't going to help us find her."

It wasn't until that moment that I realized why Christian kept deflecting all of our pity parties with a push to find Emmalyn. It was his way of dealing with things. He was Emmalyn's favorite uncle, and I think he had the same soft spot for her that he had for Rosie and Josie—his little girls. He wanted to find her as badly as the rest of us, but if he let himself wallow in ti. He was never going to pull himself back out of it.

"Maybe not." Dimitri said reaching for the scrapbook thing I had pulled out of the back pack. "But this might."

He held it up for all of us to read the cover.

_101 Places to See By: Emmalyn Danielle Ivashkov _

**ADRIAN**

"So, she painted a picture of Sydney, and you just walked away?" Jill asked trying to understand the dream.

"Yes." I answered. "But it was on the anniversary of her murder, and the picture was from the day at the beach."

"What day at the beach?" Jill asked. I gave her an are-you-kidding-me look. Her eyes widen in shock as she remembered what that day was. "The day you proposed." She nodded. "I'm sorry, Adrian."

I shook my head. I didn't deserve her apology. I didn't even deserve her comfort. I deserved to be thrown into a snake pit, or something painful like that. I was the world's worst father whose daughter believed he hated her since the age of five.

"Don't, Jill. We both know I don't deserve your sympathy." I pulled away from her comforting touch and went to stand by the window. "I should've been a better father.

"You did the best you could with what you were given, Adrian." She responded coming to stand beside me.

"Bullshit. If I had, we wouldn't be on this crazy quest to find my daughter before Jared Sage does. If had done the best I could, Emmalyn and I would be at home in Palm Springs remembering her mother, or just doing fathers and daughters do. We'd be having normal arguments about her wearing too much make up or her clothes being too revealing. I'd have given her the embarrassing sex talk before she lost her virginity in a Vegas hotel room."

"Adrian." Jill sighed. "This isn't a normal situation. You can't expect to have a normal father/daughter relationship."

"I know, Jill. I just wish I had done things differently." I told her, leaning my head against the window. "I wished I had told her how amzing that picture was, even for a five year-old. Or maybe I should've told her, that while my mom was trying to make her feel better, I walked back into the living room, picked the picture up, and hid it in the back of my closet."

"You did?" Jill asked with a smile.

"It was the most beautiful picture of Sydney Sage that I had ever seen." I felt more tears leeking from my eyes and reached up to wipe them away.

Jill sighed and grabbed my hand pulling it away from my face.

"Adrian, we're bonded. I can feel when you wanna cry, you don't have to hide it from me." She pulled me into a hug that I returned.

Once again, being this close to her made me feel so much better. Peace and calm seemed to flow from her to me and I drank it in. Yes, I needed to find my daughter, but being an emotional mess wasn't going to help matters. Jill was going to help me get through this, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

Unfortunately, the peace Jill brought me was shattered all too soon by a knock on the door.

"Jill, I know he needs rest, but we really need to talk to him, now."


	14. Of Guns and Dates

**A/N: Sorry this one took so long to get out guys. Dimitria and I have been crazy busy lately, and I have been introduced to the wonderful world of True Blood. I've been trying to catch up on the episodes, and that is consuming most of my free time. Anyway, here is chapter 14 written by the amazing Dimitria. Hope you all enjoy. **

**NIK**

The worst time of day is night. When Alyn is sleeping and the dust from the day settles; I hate it. My mind starts wandering, and a wandering mind is not a good thing.

When Alyn told me who her father was; lying to her was the hardest thing I have done. Of course I know who her father is. Hell, I know every statistic on her life, and she has no idea. She is so honest, trusting, and caring, but if she finds out I am lying to her she would never forgive me. I'm trying to keep my distance from her, but when she is awake all rational thought leaves me. Everything I am supposed to do leaves, and all I can think about is her smile and making her happy.

I remember when I didn't even care about her. It amazes me how I could feel so indifferent about this amazing young woman.

"_Nate I don't care about her. She is just some stupid girl." I shout at Nate from the top of the stairs. Everyone else has chosen to be smart and, instead of watch us, they have gone to their rooms. More than once our arguments have become violent._

"_Well, this stupid girl is the key to –" _

"_I know exactly what she is the key to. You don't have to throw it back in my face. It's not like I could forget. But I don't see the point in going after her. If we see her great and, if not, then why bother." I growl at him. Nate loves to throw things you wish you could forget back in your face. _

"_The most important woman in the world should be reason enough, you dick! Just take her file and read up on her." Nate rarely pleads with anyone but I know how her absence can affect a person. So, to humor him, I grab the file and start to read. _

_What I gather from the first page is this girl is a boring hermit. There is no way you will ever see her away from either her father or those two body guards she has. _

"_Nate, I get your concern but just get off my back. I will deal with this but in my time, okay?" I tell him waving the folder in the air. Not waiting for him to answer, I walk out of the house and head to the bar. I need a few strong drinks while I pray my memory somehow is erased. _

Shaking the memory from my head, I have to laugh a bit. The girl I thought was boring is in fact the most interesting person I have ever met. She is smart, funny, and just wants to come into her own. Her father tried to stomp out all of her beauty, but somehow she survived, and she is mine. She is with me, and for the first time since everything has happened, I feel grounded. I am not a balloon floating in the air, aimlessly wandering. No, with Alyn I have a place and a purpose.

She is truly a remarkable person, and I wish that I would have found her sooner. I wish I could have felt what I feel now sooner. She has so much power over me I wonder if she knows. I wonder if she knew that if she told me to kill someone for her I would do it without question. She makes me feel complete and I would do anything to keep that. Well _almost_ anything and that almost is why, in the end, I will turn my back on her. Not because I don't love her but because I love the other more.

Staring at her peaceful face, tears start to fall because I don't want to lose her. I want to put off losing her till the last minute. I don't want to go back to feeling like a balloon. I don't want to go back to not having a place. But I feel like it is my curse in life. Everywhere I have felt at home at or every person I have felt at home with, I have to give up. I'm in a constant state of letting go, and I think letting go of Alyn will kill me.

There is something good about night, though.

When Alyn is sleeping she can't see this side of me; the side that I hate more than anything. This side of me is a coward, and I am glad that at least for right now she thinks of me as someone who is much stronger than I am. As Alyn sleeps peacefully, I drive with the raging turmoil of waves crashing in my mind and heart. I haven't been religious, but it is at night I pray that she will wake up soon and pull me out of the waves even if it is just for a moment.

**ALYN**

When I see the sign that says welcome to Huston I feel a good time coming on!

I woke up about three hours ago and, seeing as it was time to drive so Nik could sleep, I haven't really talked to him. I know it is a bit weird, but I really miss seeing his smile and hearing his laugh. When we talk I feel like I can fly.

My dad has kept me grounded on display as a relic of my mother, but Nik lets me be free. He lets me try new and daring things. Hell, he pushes me to get out of my comfort zone and it has been like flying. I am seeing the world and finding me. If I am being completely honest, I don't want to stop running with him. I want to see the world and get in trouble with him. Hell, if I spend a night in jail because of him, so be it! We have great stories and memories, and I don't want to stop making them.

I feel like one of the boys when I am with him. My hair is in a bun 100% of the time, my clothes are dirty, I smell, I cuss, and I can hold my own when we drink. But even though all of that Nik will look at me like I am the most interesting, most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Then when I dress up like our first night at Midnight, he looks at me like I am the embodiment of sex, and the only thing he needs.

"Hey, where are we?" Nik asks, sleepily, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"We, my traveling friend, are in Huston!" Nik nods and decides he is awake enough to question me.

"Just a friend huh? I was under the impression that we were closer." He whispers in my ear sending me into fits of giggles. The things this boy can do to me.

"Stop that. I'm driving." I try to tell him in a steady voice, but it comes out in a slight whine.

"I'm sorry." He says but he clearly isn't. One of his hands decides to test the water and starts to move up my thigh. A small moan escapes me just as he pulls his hand away.

"You're mean!" I declare to him, and he just laughs.

"I'm playful. There is a difference."

"I don't see it." I mumble. I swear he does things to get under my skin.

"Well, pullover so I can drive and take you to our first stop." Nik commands me. My pet peeve is when he tries to command me to do something, so naturally I ignore him.

"I am serious!" He insists. "It is a surprise. Please baby?" I can hear the pout in his voice. Sighing, I pull over and change seats with him. Nik just fists pumps the air as if he won a huge battle. He cracks me up and I can't hold back my laughter.

"You had better not be lying." I warn him in my sternest voice. Rolling his eyes, Nik gives me a kiss, and if he didn't pull away so fast it would have gotten heated.

"Baby I promise you will love this surprise."

"And if I don't?" I ask remembering our first conversation. It feels like so long ago.

"I promise I won't make you do anything again."

"Swear on something that matters."

"Alyn, I swear on 3.2 million dollars you will love this!" A roar of laughter comes out of me.

"3.2 million dollars matters?" I ask still giving him a hard time.

"Yes, it is the only thing that matters." He says in mock seriousness.

"And I thought that was me!" Acting as if his words hurt me.

"I am digging myself into a hole." Nik says more to himself than to me "Just sit there and wait." And before I can answer we are off on a new adventure.

"I love this!" I squeal as we step onto the shooting range. I remember the one and only time I asked my father if I could learn how to shoot and well, let's just say I have been waiting for this day of so long!

"_Dad?" I ask hesitantly. _

"_Yes sweetheart?" Dad answered as I walk into the living room._

"_So, I understand why I have my guardians because of Jared Sage, but I was wondering if they could teach me how to shoot. That way, I can protect myself if the time comes when I don't have guardians." I get it all out in one breath. My dad looks mortified by my questioning. _

"_Sweetie, I know you are scared, but you will always have guardians to protect you, so you don't need to know how to shoot a gun." With that my dad has ended the conversation, but I am not done with the conversation._

"_But if I knew how to protect myself, I wouldn't need guardians." I push even though I know this will not go well._

"_Emmalyn, this is not up for discussion. You are keeping your guardians, and you will not go near a gun. Those things are dangerous. I am trying to keep you safe." That is his cop out whenever I ask to do something that has to deal with me getting any amount of independence. _

"_Dad, I don't care about the guardians, I just want to be able to protect myself! I can keep myself safe, and if I know how to use a gun they would be less dangerous to me." I am proud that my argument has come out so well formed._

"_I said no! They are dangerous. What if you shoot yourself by mistake? I can't get a new one of you." My father's voice has started to rise each moment this conversation goes on. _

"_I am not going to just go all willy nilly with a gun and start pointing it at stuff! I will be in a controlled environment with two guardians making sure I don't shoot myself. Do you not trust my guardians?" My temper is rising, but I don't care. I will get my way._

"_They are dangerous! Damn it, Sydney, I just want to keep you safe! Just stay away from guns, and we will be fine."_

"_You want me to stay at the house safe and sound." I say deadpan. _

"_Yes." Relief flooding my father's voice._

"_One last thing." _

"_Anything." _

"_You called me Sydney." With that I just walk out the room, too hurt by him to do much less._

BANG!

The sound of the gun going off jolts me out of that memory. _"You are here with Nik focus on that."_ I tell myself and for the most part it works.

"Look at you! Soon you will be shooting like a pro!" Nik yells as he fires like he has been doing this for years.

"Well it is hard, but I am glad I am finally learning this skill. Why did you bring me here? Everyone seems to think that I am princess who doesn't need to know this skill." I ask him.

"Well, if I am not with you, I want you know how to defend yourself. You already know how to do that magically, now it is time to teach you physically. You never know what could happen." Nik continues to surprise me.

"Well, thank you for believing in me." I tell him sincerely as I put down the fun. Shooting hurts my shoulder.

"Always." Nik says back to me leaning down to give me a quick peck on the lips before resuming shooting.

Retaking my stance, I look down at my target, thinking it is Jared Sage, and shoot it until I am sure the target is officially dead. I have never been an angry person, but he just didn't kill my mom that day, he killed any real chance I could have had at a normal, stable life and for that I have found a new hatred for him.

I don't know how my relationship with my father would have fared if my mom was still alive, but I know one thing if I ever come in contact with Jared Sage, he will have a few bullets inside him even if it is the last thing I do. He took away everything I could have had with my parents.

After shooting about four hundred rounds, I step back and look at my work. I can now say I know how to shoot a gun, and I feel like I am breaking my model. I was modeled into a delicate flower, but now I am forming some sharp thorns.

Looking at Nik, I can see he is totally in the zone, shooting out whatever goes on in his head. His muscles flex every time he pulls the trigger, and it amazes me how skillful he is. He looks so in control all the time but I know he is fighting off his own demons.

When we talked, I finally realized that I didn't need to know him because I already did. The way he looks at life, the sad glint in his eyes, his undeniable need to control things, I feel like I have always known that. I have always known what makes him sad, what hurts him, and what grieves him. But every day I am with him I get to see what makes him laugh, or smile, or enjoy.

Every new minute I get to see how his eyes twinkle when he is teasing me or how his real smile comes out when we talk about nothing. Somewhere in our short adventure, I stopped looking at him like a friend but as something more.

Whatever that something more is, I don't think I can lose it. I know I have been warned by everyone that getting attached to your boyfriend isn't good, but it just happened. Where I needed wings, he needed stability, and we just fit together. Maybe I sound obsessive or creepy, but I really don't care.

"Babe, I am hungry." I say wrapping my arms around his waist. Smiling down at me, he shoots a few more rounds then he puts down the gun and holds me.

"Okay, what do you want to eat?" he asks

"Food." A roaring laugh escapes him before he nods and escorts me out of the shooting range.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were hungry." Nik comments as I devour my third plate of fries.

"Firstly, I told you I was hungry, why do you question these things. Secondly they are all you can eat fries. Thirdly, do you have a problem with it?" I ask more teasing than anything else.

"Not at all." Nik says leaning over the table to give me a peck on the lips. "Most girls I have ever met eat like birds. I am glad you actually eat like a normal person." Nik comments.

"Well if eating three plates is normal then you are just a fatty mister."

"Ha, ha whatever. So tonight I want to take you on a date." I nearly spit my food up on him at the casualness of his comment.

"A date? Where?" I ask him too stunned to form a proper sentence.

"I saw this amazing little country bar just down the road, and I was thinking we could get a small hotel room, buy some new clothes, since we seem to have left them back in Arizona, and have some fun. What do you think?"

What did I think? I honestly don't know. So I blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind "I think you are trying to get me wasted, so you can take advantage of me."

"Darling, I don't have to get you drunk to make you want me." And as to prove his point, I felt his hand make a trail from me knee to my upper thigh. Somewhere in that trail my head lays back just enjoying how my body is responding to his. Then as quick as it came it disappeared.

"You're mean." I tell him

"And you still haven't agreed to a date with me. I am starting to feel like you don't want to date me." It was not that I didn't; trust me I wanted to go on a date with him, I just haven't been on a date before.

"Sure, but it better be special!" I warn him.

My first date should be perfect! Nik gives me his most genuine smile, and I cannot wait to go out with him. Even though it will be soon, I feel giddy and happy. I don't know why, but I like the feeling. The whole date thing, for some reason, makes me think of my mom and dad. I wonder what their first date was like.

_Here and now_. I scold myself. I will not think about my parents while I am with Nik. It is something I just won't do! Nik is trying his best to make me happy and thinking about my parents will only make me sad.

"So" I start and stare right at Nik "We have a serious problem." I pause for dramatic effect "That problem is our Honda Civic." And with that, I have Nik laughing and throwing fries at me. We are back to our comfortable habits.

"I feel a sin coming on." I say to myself in the bathroom of our small hotel room.

I am in charge of our money, so I told him we had to spend our money wisely. That didn't stop me from buying the tightest jeans I have ever worn, a white tank top that scoops so low that my boobs are on display nicely, and cowboy boots. I also got new underwear because my other bra and panties were super gross! Separately, my choices of clothes wouldn't matter, but together they make me look like sex on a stick.

I decided to also get my hair done. Yes, I can admit I needed some pampering, but it was well deserved. So my long blonde hair – that has now reached my mid back – is artfully cut to give my hair volume and waves. All together my outfit is dangerous. But what is more dangerous is knowing that Nik is outside this door waiting for me, and I know I will sin tonight. It is impossible not to when you think of Nik dressed like a cowboy.

"Okay, I am coming out!" I declare after straightening my shoulders and praying I don't do something too bad.

"Finally! I thought you died in there …" Whatever the rest of that sentence, we will never know because as soon as my eye caught Nik he was dumbstruck. I don't know whether to be happy that I – or rather my body – has this kind of power over him or scared of what he might do. I decided for giddy.

"Well …." I ask growing more self-conscious by the second.

"You look like sin, if sin was a woman." A smile spread over my lips as I pull him out the room.

"Come on, I want to go on our date." Nik starts to drive but I know he is holding back whatever he really wants to say. I know I shouldn't enjoy this feeling but I can't help it. I love knowing that I have him like this. I don't think it is possessive just he is mine.

As soon as we get to the bar Nik orders two shots of whiskey. Alcohol should not be mixed with this situation but when he hands me my shot I down it. I might have been raised a daughter of Christ but tonight it seems I want to be a sister of Satan, and I don't care. I want this, and I cannot tell you why.

Soon we each had more than a few shots of whatever Nik was having. I couldn't concentrate on anything but his body. The way his red flannel hugged his biceps and body; just looking at him I was coming undone.

"Dance with me." I whisper into his ear and he didn't have to be told twice.

As soon as my words left my mouth, I was swept up into a fray of stale beer, cigarettes smoke, and lust. We started dancing like we had back at Midnight, but this time, it was like I am welded to him. There is no space between us and his hands are taking great liberties to explore my body, not that I mind. Everywhere he touches, he lights a fire on my skin. The heat is too much. Throwing my head back, I let him he kiss a trail from my ear to my cleavage.

There is a point where he drags me off the dance floor and pushes me between a wall and himself. I should be scared. Any other girl would be afraid of Nik taking it too far, but I'm not.

I feel a right that is about to go so wrong in everyone else's eyes, but I could care less. I want his hands to explore me, and his lips to tease me, and every part of my body and mind wants him.

There is a point where I forget where my body begins and his ends, and I love it. I relish in the fact that we just fit together. We don't take off each other clothes or anything like that, but we just explore each other. When we get thirsty we get shots of some alcohol and then repeat. Hours of booze and lust later, and I can tell you this was the best first date ever.


	15. This Might Be It For Us

**A/N: Dimitria and I have a special treat for you today. This chapter has been written by both of us and features both Adrian's and Alyn's P.O.V.s. We have been planning and thinking about this chapter for quite a while now and are both extremely excited to finally be giving it to you.  
**

**We hope you enjoy it as much as we have. **

**ADRIAN**

"God damn it!" I yell, punching a whole in the wall when Rose finishes her story. How can we have been in the same motel as Emmalyn and not know it? Hell, how could we have parked next to her car and not even realize it?

"Adrian." Jill chastises placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Destroying things isn't going to help the situation at all." As always, her touch instantly calms me and I take a few deep breaths.

"You're right." I say. "I'm sorry." I turn my attention to Rose. "Did they leave anything to indicate where they were heading?"

According to Rose, Emmy and Nik now knew we were searching for them in Arizona. There's no way they'd risk staying. No, they would get as far from Arizona as possible. I just wish I knew where.

"We found this in her back pack." Rose answers handing a small scrapbook to me.

"101 Places to See by Emmalyn Ivashkov." I read, feeling my heart break a little bit more.

I had always been scared about taking Emmalyn to unknown places. Often any trips we took were to places with a large dhampir and Moroi population. I always wanted to be sure she was well protected, but there were so many other places she wanted to go. Places that I never had the guts to take her. I suppose this was a good chance for her to visit all those places.

I open the book and start flipping through the pages as memories of her begging me to take her to these places flood my mind. How could I have been so selfish and stupid? I should've taken her wherever she wanted to go, when she wanted to go there.

"We haven't looked through it, yet." Dimitri explains as I flip to the page labeled Rome. "Rose wanted to talk to you as soon as we found it. She said you would know best where she was going."

I nod as I stare at the Rome page. It is covered in pictures of buildings and other interesting structures, both ancient and modern. She was just like Sydney, interested in architecture, particularly Greek and Roman. It is what she wants to study when she goes to college. I flip the page and am not surprised when Greece is the next place.

"My first guess is Rome or Greece." I say running my hand over the page. "But we are pretty sure she and Nik are looking for Marcus and Zoe, and they are here in America. I have to keep looking through the book."

"Maybe you should try giving Jackie another call." Lissa suggests. "She might be able to find them again."

"I doubt it." I sigh. "If Nik knows we are on to him, he will have started cloaking himself, just in case."

"So we've got nothing to go on, but a book, and our best guesses." Christian says trying to sound bored, but I can hear his irritation and unease. Emmalyn has always been special to him, and I know he would die for her.

"Unfortunately, yes." I answer flipping through a few more pages of the book. "However, I may have done a horrible job at allowing her to get to know her mother, but I know my little girl inside and out. I can find her."

I know it was a slightly overconfident claim, because I honestly don't know my little girl at all anymore. I just need to feel like finding her would be a breeze.

"Okay then where do you think she is?" Christian presses as my eyes focus on the page labeled Chicago. Again, it is covered in pictures of buildings and other structures. There's even the history of those buildings and structures written in the margins.

The metaphoric light bulb went on inside my head then. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. If she couldn't go to Rome or Greece, Chicago would be the next best thing. The architecture is simply beautiful. She would love a chance to look at it all.

"Chicago." I say. "She loves architecture, just like Sydney. She would love it there."

"Are you sure?" Lissa presses. "There are a lot of places in that book."

"I know, but most of them are out of the country. It would be silly for her to go there, if she wants to get to Marcus and Zoe."

"Then that's where we will head." Rose says. "I will go wake the others and let them know about our change of plans. You guys get packing."

"Whoa." Jill says speaking for the first time since I put my fist through the wall. "We aren't leaving now. Adrian hasn't gotten nearly enough rest."

"I don't need any more rest." I snap. "I need to find my daughter."

"Adrian, you just put your fist through a wall." Jill argued. "And you look like you are going to pass out. You need to sleep. We all need to sleep. We don't know what this trip is going to lead us to. We need to be ready for anything, so we are not leaving until everyone gets at least 6 hours of sleep."

"But…" She puts her finger to my lips and gives me her best don't-mess-with-me look effectively stopping my argument.

"This is non-negotiable." She says. "Rose, Dimitri, go wake Eddie and Mikhail. Have them take the watch while you two rest, and I mean rest."

I can't help the little smirk that crosses my face at her reprimanding tone. Almost two decades later, and Rose and Dimitri still screwed like rabbits. From what I heard, they would do it at least once a night.

"Fine." Rose says sounding less happy about it than I was.

She and Dimitri left the room.

"Christian, Lissa, you two go back to your room and sleep as well." Jill orders. "I will handle Mister Stubborn Pants."

I roll my eyes at being referred to in such a childish manner and Lissa and Christian exit the room. Jill turns back to me with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." She says. I sigh but crawl back into the bed of my own accord. It was less embarrassing than being dragged back like a child. "Sleep." Jill whispers as she sits down beside my head and starts humming a new song.

It takes a while for me to shut my brain down, even with Jill's calming influence. All I can think about is Emmalyn and the trouble she is getting herself into. I was freaking out about where she was, and what she was doing. Was Nik succeeding in corrupting her? Or did he plan on killing her when he found a convenient place to dump the body?

All these thoughts run through my mind before I finally fall asleep.

The sweet blackness of sleep only lasts a few moments before I feel myself falling into a spirit dream. Funny, I didn't remember even trying to create one.

**ALYN**

"Davis! Stop that!" I giggle as I unsuccessfully try to stop him chomping on my neck. But the more I giggle, the less I feel like he should stop. We got back to our room about an hour ago and have been fooling round.

"Why?" He asks "You like it."

"No, it is gross!" I inform him, but I made the mistake of looking into his eyes.

His eyes showed all kinds of love, want, and need. Before I could register what I was doing, my lips found his, and we were kissing. A hunger I didn't even know existed consumes us. He grabs my hands, pinning them above my head, while I arch my back to get as close to him as possible. The hand that isn't holding mine snakes down and starts to lift up my tank top to expose my stomach. He lets go of my hands and set his sights on my stomach. My hands fly into the air, and a small moan escapes me as his lips travel up from my stomach to my boobs.

"We should stop this." Davis muses pulling away from me.

The look in his eyes says the last thing the wants to do is stop, but I understand where he is coming from. We are both drunk off our asses and I would like my first time not to be fuelled by a drunken haze.

"Yeah." I grudgingly agree.

We shift around so that we are spooning.

"Sweet dreams, Alyn." Davis says, and I can only nod before I am out like a light.

I feel the sweet darkness of sleep only for a minute before I feel a spirit dream start to form. I try to fight it, but my level of drinking mixed with my need for sleep prevents me pulling myself out. I expect to see Lissa because she tried to reach me last time, but no, I come face to face with my dad.

Looking around, I see we are in a museum dedicated to ancient Roman art. It is beautiful. We are standing in a courtyard that is surrounded by trees and planets. There is also a pool in the middle. I don't even think this is a real place.

"Where are we?" I involuntarily ask out loud.

"The Getty Villa." My father informs me "This is the place your mom and I went on our first date."

"So now we are going to talk about mom?" I ask bitterly "I thought she didn't exist."

"She did, and she was amazing." Dad says wistfully as if he isn't even here with me right now.

"Well, that is just fucking great, Dad."

"Do not use that word!" Dad chastises me. To be honest, I only used it to keep him here and not wishing mom was here instead.

"I can say whatever I want." And to prove a point I add "Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, and Fuck!"

"Well, I see that you have been drinking."

"Way to state the obvious, Dad."

"Do you even know how dangerous that is? I had a drinking problem. Statistically, you have a higher chance to have one too!" He takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and lets it out slowly. "Emmalyn I don't want to fight. Just come home and stop wasting your time being with this boy. If you come home, we will talk about everything. I promise." Great, now he is trying to reason with me. As tempting as that offer sounds, I know he is just blowing smoke.

"Firstly, I will take my chances with the drinking problem. Secondly, I don't care if we fight because I don't want to talk to you. Thirdly, it's my time to waste and let's leave Davis out of this. Finally, I know you are blowing smoke about actually talking to me because you always say we will talk about things and it never happens. Remember when I came home one year from the academy, and you said we would talk about mom, but all you told me was her name? I was eight, and all I knew of my mom was her name! So forgive me when I say that I think your full of shit!"

**ADRIAN**

I stand there staring at my baby girl and doing my best to keep myself in control. Emmalyn had grown up with my temper and her mother's stubbornness and determination. I can see that she is desperate to turn this into a fight, but I couldn't let that happen. I hadn't intended to dream walk with her, but now that I'm here, I want to make the most of it. Fighting would only make things between us worse. I need to make them better, and staying calm while Emmalyn was freaking out was the only way to do it. Besides, she has a point. We both know that.

"You're right." I sigh, taking a step closer to her. I want nothing more than to run to her and embrace her, but she's still extremely angry with me, and I don't want to push my luck. "At least about my never talking about you mother, even when I say I'm going to, but that's because losing your mother was the hardest thing I've ever had to live through." I shake my head running my fingers through my hair. I had to make her understand, but I didn't know how. "It's not something you can understand until you've lost someone you love as much as I love your mother. She was one of the two best things that have ever happened to me, and I loved her more than you could possibly understand. When she was taken from me, it hurt to move. Hell, it hurt to breathe, Emmy. I could barely function. Your aunts and uncles had to take turns practically living with us to make sure that I didn't do anything stupid or, heaven forbid, forget to take care of you."

I sigh not bothering to wipe away my tears. She had to know how hard this was for me, and how sorry I was. She stands there across the room just staring at me, and I wonder if I am getting through to her.

"They always say it will hurt less with time, but it doesn't. You just learn to cope with it, and not talking about her was how I coped with it. I always told myself that I would tell you about your wonderful, beautiful, intelligent mother, but by the time you got old enough to truly understand, even thinking about her hurt too much. I pushed my feelings for her away so hard that allowing them to come back was like ripping myself open over and over again. It was just easier not to talk about her. Or at least, that's what I told myself."

Emmalyn was transfixed by my speech the whole time. So much so, I thought for sure that I had gotten through to her. When I finish though, she simply scoffs and walks over to the pool staring into it for a long time before speaking.

"You think I don't know what you went through after Mom died?" She snaps not bothering to turn to look at me. "I grew up watching you mourn her, Dad. I spent year after year watching you get drunk and cling to her picture on the anniversary of the day she died. I remember being afraid to talk about her, because I didn't want to hurt you. I tip toed around your feelings for years, because I knew how you loved and missed her. I've seen how hard losing her was on you, so don't try to guilt trip me. Instead, why don't you think about how hard this was for me?"

She finally turns to me with tears pouring down her cheeks. I want to reach out to her, because I hate to see her suffering like this. I want to run my fingers through her hair and tell her that I love her and how sorry I am, but I don't. I'm making progress and I don't want to mess it up.

"At least you got the chance to know and love her." Emmalyn continues. "All I got was nine months in her womb and a few days that I can't even remember with her. Do you have any idea how hard it is to love and miss someone that you know absolutely nothing about? If you ask me, it is a hell of a lot harder than what you went through. At least you got the chance to know who Sydney Sage was. I never got that privilege."

I sigh and hold my arms out to her. She was just repeating the things that I had already discovered after her conversation with Lissa, but to hear my baby saying them and to see the pain that it has caused her, hurts a million times more than any private revelation. I had destroyed my baby girl and didn't know how to fix her.

Emmalyn scoffs and turns back to the pool. I drop my arms with another sigh and walk over to her. Apologizing would be a good start.

"Again, you're right." I tell her placing my hand on her shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief when she doesn't pull away. "I have been incredibly selfish. I allowed my own pain to overshadow yours, and that should've never happened. As your father, I should've done everything in my power to insure that you never felt the kind of pain I have to live with every day, but I didn't. I only thought of how talking or thinking about your mother hurt me. I never once considered how much not knowing her was going to hurt you. And you have no idea how sorry I am for that, baby. I will forever regret my decision to keep her from you."

"Just stop, Dad." She practically growls finally pulling away from me. "First of all, this isn't something words can fix. You can apologize all you want, but it's too late for it to make any difference. You've hurt me too much growing up, and I don't think that I can forgive you for it. Secondly, this goes way beyond you keeping mom from me. Yes, it had a lot to do with my decision to leave, but it is about so much more than that. This is about you keeping me locked up like a museum piece so you could preserve the last reminder you have of Sydney Sage."

Her words shock me and send more waves of pain coursing through my body. I had spent every day of the last sixteen years doing everything in my power to protect her because she was my daughter and I loved her more than anything else in this world. How could she possibly believe that I was doing it just to preserve what was left of Sydney? I had always told her the Guardians were for her protection because I loved her and didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Why would she question it?

"No." I say reaching out for her again. She steps away from me moving toward the opposite end of the courtyard. "Everything I did to protect you in the last sixteen years was to protect the daughter I love more than anything else in the world. It had nothing to do with your mother."

She puts her hands over her ears and crouches down. "I don't want to listen to this anymore. I don't want to hear the lies you've plotted just to convince me to come home. I want to go back to Davis. Let me out!" She screams the last words standing up.

"No!" I yell back. "Not until we fix this." I take a deep breath and walk to where she stands with her arms crossed over her chest glaring at me.

I grab her by the shoulders and make sure she is looking at me. What I am about to say next is going to kill me, but I was beginning to think it was for the best. Maybe the two of us would really benefit from some time apart. As much as I hated the idea, I knew Marcus and Zoe would be able to take care of her and give her the space she needed to grow.

"I know you're angry with me, and I know you don't want to be around me, right now." I tell her. "And that's fine. You can go stay with Zoe and Marcus for as long as you need. I won't make you come home, but I need you talk to me. I need you to help me fix what's broken between us. Emmalyn, you are my daughter and I love you. I don't want to leave things like this. Just talk to me, and we can work things out."

She pulls herself away from me again, but continues to glare.

"I. Do. Not. Want. To. Talk." She growls every word as its own sentence. "I do not want to work things out with you. I just want to be away from you. Besides, I'm already gone. I don't need your permission to go anywhere. Davis and I can do whatever we want, and you can't stop us."

"Okay, who's Davis?" I asked. This is the third or fourth time she's mentioned him. I thought the kid's name was Nik.

"None of your business." She responds. "I will be seventeen in a few months. I think it is time that I be able to live my own life without your interference or anyone else's. I think it is time for me to be able to hang out with whoever I want and not have to worry about what Daddy will say."

I take another deep breath and ignore the impulse to smack her. She's acting like an immature child who thinks she's ready to be an adult. If only she knew all the consequences that came along with being an adult, she wouldn't be so quick to want it.

"Maybe I'll believe you when you start proving you are mature enough to handle the responsibility of running your own life." I snap at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She turns back to me. The tears have been replaced with a look so angry it scares me.

"Running away from home because you didn't agree with my decisions. Running across the country with someone you just met. Gambling. Underage drinking. Going to a bar and almost getting hooked on a deadly addictive drug. Losing your virginity to a near stranger in a Vegas hotel room." I throw everything she has done to me since the moment she left the house after I refused to lower her security back in her face. I hate doing it, but I hope hearing it from someone else will help her to realize just how stupid she was being. "I'm actually glad your mother isn't here to see you right now. You'd be such a disappointment to her." I don't know where the words came from, but the second they slip out of my mouth, I wish I could take them back.

Hurt flashes across Emmalyn's face as more tears fill her eyes. I go to her and try to put my arms around her, but she pushes me away.

"Emmy, baby, please." I plead. "I didn't mean it." But the look in her eyes tells me I've broken everything beyond repair.

**ALYN**

His words hurt worse than if we would have slapped me across the face a few times. How could he say that I would be a disappointment to her? Hell, maybe I would be. I have never met the woman, and it is becoming painfully clear that my dad holds me to some high standard in which I am supposed to be like the perfect Sydney replica. Well shit, I failed that one.

"You're right. I would probably be a disappointment to her. God only knows what I have been doing – or rather should who I have been doing – since I ran away, but if I am a disappointment to her, so are you. Do you think that mom would approve of you caging me in for my whole life? I was never allowed to do anything. You hated when I painted, or read, or God forbid ask to hang out with a friend. No, I was only supposed to sit around and be perfect.

"Would Mom approve of how you shut me out all my life? Never talking to me about anything that mattered. I never once recall you ever caring about my feelings. How I felt wasn't important as long as my body physically stayed out of harm's way.

"Do you think that mom would approve of you hitting me? Your only daughter, the only thing you have left of her, and you abuse it!

"I bet she would be overjoyed to know that when you got really mad at me, you wouldn't even see me anymore—you just saw her. In the back of your mind you always wanted her!

"You never for a second ever thought about what was good for me. Only what would preserve the last memory of my mother. How does that make you feel? Does it make your skin crawl? Does it sicken you to know that, if mom was here right now, how utterly disgusted she would be with you? She would probably hate you!"

"Enough!" My dad screams, but I am on a roll. I want him to hurt like I have been hurt. I want him to know everything I am feeling because he was the one would wanted to talk in the first place.

"But I am not finished! You are the one who wanted to talk, let's talk. Or rather I will talk, you will listen, and then you will realize my point and leave me the fuck alone." I look him straight in his eyes so he can truly understand how much I mean these words.

"When you look in the mirror in the morning, I want you to know how much I hate you. I want you to know that I couldn't get away from you fast enough. I have been planning running away for years! I can't stand to even be around you! I hate you so much that I would rather die by the hand of Jared Sage then ever live with you again. Every morning when you wake up, I want you to feel my resentment toward you. I want you to feel the pure hatred I have for you.

"Actually I don't hate you, hate would mean I have some sort of feelings for you. I just don't give a shit about you. I could care less if you died right now! That is how much I just don't care. I am saying this so you don't have any pretty little allusions in your crazy head that I would ever come back home willingly! I want you to know that I think you are worse than scum; that your only daughter who should love and respect you can't, because you're just a big pile of shit.

"If I am a disappointment to Mom then you are a much bigger one. You caused all of this to happen! You caused my opinion of you to be this way, you caused me to runaway, and I would go as far as to say that you are the reason I don't have a Mom. So do us both a favor and stay out of my business."

Hurt upon hurt crossed over his face but I couldn't bring myself to care anymore! He is nothing to me.

"He is going to leave you when he gets bored. Davis or Nik or whoever you are traveling with is just using you" His says deadpan.

"You're lying." I inform him; trying not to let his words affect me.

"No he is. I know this because guys like him only want sex and as soon as he is bored or sees another girl with a pretty face walk by you will be left in the dust. You also won't have a home to come back to when it happens. Goodbye, Emmalyn. This is not the daughter I raised.

"Sadly it is." I say in an eerie calm voice. The dream disappears, and I am back in bed with Davis. It takes exactly one second for my body to break down into sobs and another second for Davis to wake up comforting me.

"Baby, why are you crying?"

"My dad dream walked with me and informed me that I am a disappointment to my mom." I inform him – barely – in between sobs. Davis changes positions, so now I am in his lap, and he is holding me tightly. I think he thinks if he lets loose, even for a second, I will utterly fall apart more so than right now.

"He is lying." Davis says holding back an emotional cocktail of anger, sadness, and love "Your mom would think you are brilliant. She would think that you stand up for yourself, and that you don't just let B.S. fly. You call people on their shit, and you are amazing." Cupping my face in his hands, he looks me right in the eyes to make sure I get the full impact of whatever he is going to say next. "You are beautiful, amazing, loving, caring, and anyone would love to have you for a daughter."

"Will you leave me if we have sex or after you get bored?" I ask unable to quiet my growing fears. Sadness crosses his face, and I immediately feel bad for even thinking that he would do such a thing like that.

"Emmalyn, I am falling head over heels in love with you, and it scares the shit out of me. I can't picture a minute without you by my side let alone leaving you. I want you in myself for the rest of time. I don't know if I could ever get bored with you because every day with you is something new. I will not leave you. I swear on 3.2 million dollars because that is the only thing that matters." Hearing him repeat his reasoning from earlier today makes laugh.

How can he make me stop crying and actually laugh? He is a powerful warlock indeed.

"Now let's wipe these tears away. A beautiful girl like you should never cry, and as long as I am around I will make sure that you don't. If I ever meet your father, I will beat the crap out of him, and you can't get mad at me because I will be defending your honor."

I let out another laugh and give Davis a quick peck on the lips before trying my hand at sleeping again. This time I fall asleep, my head is resting on Davis' chest and his arms are holding me protectively and effectively scaring off anymore unwanted dreams.

**ADRIAN**

I stand there watching and listening as Emmalyn's screams at me. Every one of her words is like a dagger to my heart. Mostly because I know they are true, and that I was wrong to say what I did to Emmalyn.

She would not have been a disappointment to Sydney. In fact, she had grown into everything Sydney had hoped her child would become, despite my horrible attempts at being a father. Sure, she had a rebellious streak, but what teenager didn't. No, I would be the failure and disappointment to Sydney. I screwed up our daughter's life beyond repair, and now, I'd lost her forever.

The dream begins to dissolve around us as I try to convince her that she can't trust the boy or boys she's traveling with. I don't know which of us is making it happen, but it is a relief that it is happening. I don't think I can handle being in that room with her any longer.

Emmalyn and the scene around me completely disappear and are replaced with blackness, but only for a few moments. I start to feel someone shaking me and hear Jill's voice.

"Adrian, wake up. Please wake up." He voice is frantic and I can her tears in it. I force my eyes open afraid someone may have tried to hurt her, but she is staring down at me; worry written all over her face and tears shining in her light green eyes.

I blink a few times and realize that I had been crying in my sleep, but I am past caring about that. I had tried to save the situation with Emmalyn and failed miserably. The only thing left to do was cry.

"Jill, is everything okay?" I ask.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." She responds. "Your emotions were all over the place just now. I thought you were having some kind of breakdown. What happened?"

"I met with Emmalyn in her dreams." I say swallowing hard as more tears leaked from my eyes. "I tried to save the situation, but I only made it worse. My baby girl hates me."

With those words, I completely lose it. Every bit of sadness I had been feeling since this craziness began finally pushes its way out. Jill wraps her arms around me, and I sob into her shoulder, no longer caring what anyone thought.

**A/N: Dimitria and I put our sweat, blood, and tears into this chapter. It was the most emotional one we have ever written, and I had to write my part of the dream twice. I forgot to properly save it the first time. You have no idea how hard that part was to do twice. Dimitria was also in tears when she was writing Emmalyn's explosion. Please, don't let that hard work go to waste. Let us know what you think. **


	16. Breakdown

**A/N: Sorry for the long time between chapters. Between Dimitria and me, there has been a lot of illness, work, and other important stuff. Plus, I'm the one that is following up the amazingness that was chapter 15. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do it justice. I think I've come up with something equally amazing, though. **

**I have spent most of the story emphasizing the bond between Jill and Adrian, but I think there is one other person whose connection with Adrian needs to be focused on. This chapter will focus on that relationship. I hope you like it as much as you liked the dream walk chapter. **

**ROSE**

It didn't take long for Dimitri and me to fall asleep after Jill sent us to bed. Despite popular belief, we could control our hormones when we needed to. We knew we needed to be well rested in order to continue our search for our niece. Besides, the past few days had left us too exhausted to think about anything other than sleeping when we got to the room.

I had simply snuggled myself into his chest while he draped his arm around me with I whispered, "I love you, Roza." We were both out in a matter of seconds.

I wasn't sure how long we were sleeping before a crazy loud pounding woke the both of us. We were both instantly on alert shooting straight up out of the bed. The stake that I tucked under my pillow was already in my hand. Dimitri had his as well, even though I didn't remember seeing him hide it before we went to sleep.

We stared at each other coming up with a plan in that silent way of ours.

"Rose, wake up!" Jill's frantic voice called through the door before we could even make a move. "Something's wrong with Adrian!"

I dropped my stake and ran to the door opening it. Dimitri was already flipping on the lamps in the room. Jill stood before me in a pair of grey sweatpants and black tank top. Her hair was messier than usual and she looked like she had been crying. It had been years since I'd seen her this upset. Whatever was going on was bad.

"Come in." I said, nodding to Eddie and Mikhail who staring down the hall concern etched all over their faces. "It's alright." I told them. "I don't think anyone's in trouble."

Jill had already taken a seat on the edge of the bed by the time I had shut the door and walked back in the room.

"What's going on?" I asked, sitting beside her. Dimitri leaned against the dresser with his arms crossed over his chest. Now that we knew we weren't under attack, he was as relaxed as his training would allow him to be. There was concern written all over his face, though. "What's wrong with Adrian?"

"I don't know." Jill shook her head as more tears poured down her cheeks. "He slept peacefully for a while, but somehow dream walked with Emmalyn. He said hadn't even been trying. His emotions were all over the place, but mostly, he was hurting. A lot. I woke him up, and he actually started crying."

Just hearing that part of the story was scary enough. The only times I had ever witnessed Adrian cry was the first few weeks after Sydney was killed. It was like he couldn't stop. When he was finally able to, it was like he had completely shut off that function. He may have gotten drunk on the anniversary of her death every year, but he never cried about it, or anything after those first few weeks. It was like he completely shut off that function.

"Did he tell you what happened in the dream?" I questioned.

"Just that he made things worse, and Emmalyn hates him." Jill explained. "That's all I got out of him before he completely broke down. He wouldn't talk to me anymore after that. He just broke down on my shoulder before going to the mini bar and pulling out a bottle of whiskey. He wouldn't even acknowledge me when I tried to convince him to put it back. "

"Shit." I said putting my face in my hands. "What did you feel through the bond?"

"Sadness and rage. A whole lot of rage. Mostly at himself."

"You said he just finished dream walking. Was there any darkness in him?"

"No. At least not the spirit induced kind. If that was the case, I would've taken it from him. I hate seeing him like this, Rose, and I don't know how to help him. He wouldn't even acknowledge me once his anger took over. I was hoping you could get him to listen."

"Don't worry, I will." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I understood why he was so upset, but we didn't have time for him to have a breakdown. We needed to find Emmalyn before Jared Sage did. I wasn't going to let him ruin everything because he had a little fight with his daughter. "I'll go talk to him now."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Roza?" Dimitri said, grabbing my arm as I headed for the door. "You know how he is when he gets like this. I don't want you to get hurt."

"He'd never hurt me, Dimitri." I said, pulling my arm away from him. "And in case you've forgotten, I was once where he was. Honestly, if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have survived the months between staking you and freeing you. He didn't let me drown then, I'm not going to let him drown now. He needs me, and I'm not going to let him down."

Dimitri flinched a little at the reminder of what he put me through when he was a Strigoi, and I felt bad for bringing it up. He just wanted to protect me. I couldn't fault him for that, but Adrian was my best friend, and he needed me. I couldn't just let him down because he was possibly dangerous. If I ran away from every potentially dangerous situation in my life, I'd have to hide in my room all my life.

"I can handle a drunken Adrian, Dimitri." I said running the back of my hand across his cheek. "Trust me." Dimitri nodded and kissed my hand. "Wake the others, and tell them to get ready to go. I don't think sitting around is going to be good for him."

Jill didn't even protest: she simply nodded as I headed for the door. I ignored Eddie and Mikhail's questioning glances as I headed to Adrian's room. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and knocked on Adrian's door. I was going to get him through this, even if it was the last thing I did.

**ADRIAN**

I lay on the bed drinking the bottle of whiskey as if it were my life line. I tried not to think about the fact that it was simply another thing to add to the ever growing list of ways I'd disappointed Sydney and Emmalyn. Maybe I was as useless as my father always told me I was. I couldn't even raise my child right.

Part of me wished I could blame this lapse on my previous use of spirit, but I didn't want to lie to myself. I had been doing that to both Emmalyn and myself for far too long. It was better to just admit the fact that I couldn't handle things sober anymore. Hell, the longer this trip went on and the more I found out about Emmalyn's feelings toward me, the more I felt like I couldn't handle things at all anymore, drunk or sober.

The only thing the booze was doing right now was reminding me of all the reasons I was drinking in the first place. Sydney, Jared, Emmalyn, my own pathetic existence.

I was so lost in my own world that I hadn't even noticed Jill leaving the room. I had been vaguely aware of her attempts to get me to stop drinking, but I didn't care enough to acknowledge them. I was sort of glad she had decided to leave, though. I really didn't want her to see me like this.

I took another long drink from the bottle of whiskey not even feeling the burn at the back of my throat. I knew I should've been planning our trip to Chicago or thinking about what I was going to say to Emmalyn when I saw her again, but I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to even care at the moment.

All I could think about was how fucked up everything was, and how my baby girl might just be better off without me. Her mother surely would've been, and that's the thought that hurt most of all.

Every accusation that Emmalyn had thrown at me during the dream was true, especially the part about me being the reason that she didn't have a mother, and I had known it all along. If I had just kept my feelings to myself, Sydney would still be here. Hell, if I had left her alone when she asked me to, Sydney would still be here. But I had to keep pushing and pushing until she finally gave in.

Those actions started a downward spiral that could've only ended in tragedy. Why couldn't I have just left it alone? If I had Sydney would still be here. True, Emmalyn probably wouldn't be, but maybe not existing was better than being raised by a single father who had no fucking clue what he was doing. If she I hadn't been born than I couldn't have screwed her up as badly as I did. All of this was my fault.

I was a poison to the people I loved. I took another swig of whiskey and closed my eyes. Maybe Emmalyn would be better off if I just stopped trying to find her. Maybe I should just let her go to Marcus and Zoe. They could take better care of her than I could. At least they wouldn't screw her up as badly as I had.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my pitying thoughts.

"Go away, Jill." I slurred a little. "I don't want to talk right now." I didn't deserve anyone to talk to.

"It's not Jill." Rose's voice called back through the door. "And I don't care if you want to talk or not. I wanna talk to you, so you're gonna open this door, let me in, and talk. Or I'm gonna kick it down and beat the crap out of you until you come to your senses. It is up to you, but either way, I'm coming in."

I got off the bed and walked over to the door. It had been awhile since I had drunk like this, so I stumbled a little on the way. My tolerance was still higher than normal, but my body was being reintroduced to the feeling of alcohol. I yanked the door opened and came face-to-face with an angry Rose.

"Thank you." She said shoving her way in. I glared at her not liking the holier than thou attitude that was radiating off of her as she made herself comfortable in the armchair in the corner.

"And what exactly do you want to talk about, Rose?" I asked.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

"Nothing." I shrug talking another drink from the bottle. "Nothing at all."

"Really, because I don't think that Jill would wake me up in the middle of the night with tears pouring down her cheeks when nothing was wrong. And I don't think you'd be drinking like this if there was nothing wrong. You wouldn't want to disappoint Sydney like that."

"Why not?" I snapped. "It's not like I haven't already disappointed her in every other aspect of our lives. I got her killed and fucked up raising our daughter. I doubt a bottle of whiskey is really going to disappoint her that much in light of everything else. So if you've come here to lecture me on how Sydney would feel about this. Just leave."

She didn't move from her spot on the chair, but the anger on her face melted away. It was replaced with sympathy or pity. I couldn't tell which, but I knew I didn't deserve either. Everything had come crashing down around me because I was stupid enough to believe that love could conquer everything. What a stupid notion that was. I turned away from Rose unable to handle the look in her scrutinizing gaze.

"Adrian, what happened to Sydney wasn't your fault." She said. The shocked in her tone told me this wasn't the way she had been planning for this conversation to go. I took another drink of the whiskey before turning back to her.

"Newsflash Rose," I said. "Sydney died because _I _was in love with her."

"And she was in love with you, Adrian." Rose argued. "You were in love with each other, and that's nobody's fault. Love is the most natural thing in the world. And once it happens, nothing else matters. Not age or race or social status or even species."

"My relationship with Sydney wasn't the afterschool special that yours and Dimitri's turned out to be." I said. "I knew how her kind felt about me. I knew being with her could get her into all kinds of trouble, but I was selfish. And I kept pushing until she gave in. And that got her killed."

"No." Rose rose from the chair and came to stand in front of me. "You both made the decision to move forward with your lives and be happy, no matter the consequences. It was both your decisions that led you to that alley that night, but it was Jared Sage's decision that killed Sydney; not hers, and definitely not yours."

I knew on some level that she was right. Sydney's death wasn't anyone's fault but Jared's. Yet, I couldn't help but wallow in the decisions that led us to that moment. If I had been able to let go, she would still be alive. And if I had been able to move on, our daughter wouldn't be so screwed up.

"She still would've been better off without me. Just like our daughter." I said.

"Don't you dare say that, Adrian Ivashkov." Rose snapped. "You are a great father, and Emmalyn needs you. Now more than ever."

"Really, because she made it quite clear that she didn't want anything to do with me anymore." I took another drink from the bottle and flopped back down on the bed. "I believe her words were that she didn't give a damn about me. And that she would rather die by the hand of her grandfather than come home with me."

"She's an angry teenager, Adrian." Rose stated. "They say stupid shit like that all the time, but they don't mean it."

"She sure sounded like she did."

Rose shook her head and sat down beside me.

"Again, she's an angry teenager, Adrian." She argued. "They say stupid shit like that believing they mean it, but in the end, they really don't. Most times, they just want to hurt the person they're talking to."

"What do you know about it?" I snapped as I took another swig of the whiskey. It pissed me off to hear her sitting there preaching to me like she knew what I was dealing with. She wasn't even a mother, never would be. How could she possibly understand what I was going through? How could she even begin to guess what Emmalyn was feeling?

"I know a lot more about it than you think, Adrian." She snapped back. "In case you've forgotten, I've been where Emmalyn is. I spent a good majority of my childhood not caring about my father and hating my mother for things that I didn't even understand.

"That Christmas she came to visit and gave me a black eye." She continued. "I said some of the most horrible things to her, and I thought I meant them. I eventually realized that it was just the words of an angry little girl who wanted her mother. I imagine Emmalyn feels the same way. She's angry and wants her father. All of him, Adrian, not just the part of you that wants to pretend she doesn't have a mother."

I shook my head and got back off the bed. I didn't want to listen to what she had to say anymore. It was all just another reminder of how badly I screwed things up in my relationship with my daughter.

"Just leave, Rose." I said. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Too bad, because you need to hear everything I have to say."

"No." I answered back. "What's happening is between me and Emmalyn, Rose. You have no right to interfere."

"And yet, if someone had interfered with your parenting methods years ago, we wouldn't be here right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I had to reel my anger in as I turned to face her. Despite the large amount of alcohol I had consumed, I still managed to remind myself that Rose was my friend, and she was only trying to help. Hitting her wouldn't do any good. In fact, it'd probably end in me getting my ass kicked, not just by Rose, but Belikov too.

"Just that every one of the people in your life who claimed to love you, including me, watched as you kept your daughter from finding out about her mother. We knew how much you were still hurting, so we let you get away with it. We should've done something before we got to this point. We should've been the ones to tell her about her mother. Instead, we all just kept our mouths shut and…"

"No, Rose." I cut her off as some of the anger went away from me. That was actually a little weird. I don't remember deciding to stop being angry. "I should've told Emmalyn about her mother. I should've made sure my daughter knew everything that made Sydney Sage wonderful, but I didn't. And that's nobody's fault but mine."

"Maybe, but you weren't her only source of information." Rose placed a hand on my shoulder. "The rest of us should've made it clear Emmalyn could talk to us about her mother. We should've told her everything we could."

"None of that matters now, though." I sighed, remembering the way she looked at me in the dream; the way venom leaked from every word she said to me. "She hates me and wants me to leave her alone. She wants me to stop looking for her, and I'm beginning to think that might be a good idea."

I brought the bottle to my lips again, but nothing came out.

"Damn it!" I cursed, tossing the bottle on to the bed again and heading back to the mini bar. I thought I saw some of that toxic Russian vodka in there earlier. Rose stepped in front of the bar, crossing her arms over her chest. I glared at her, but she didn't give me a chance to speak.

"Don't you dare say that, Adrian." She said. "Emmalyn may angry with you right now, and she has every reason to be."

"Gee thanks." I said. The remark stung a lot coming from her. Rose had been my best friend since we made up after our break up. She was there for me through some of the hardest shit of my laugh. She held my hand at Sydney's funeral and took care of Emmalyn during those first few weeks when I found it hard to function. To know that she felt I'd been in the wrong hurt a lot.

"I'm just telling you the truth, Adrian: a truth that you really need to hear." She sighed."I remember a time when you did it for me. I hated you for it at the time, but soon began to see that you were right. It helped me turn a lot of things in my life around. I'm simply returning the favor."

"Point taken." I sighed, taking her spot in the armchair. It was clear she wasn't going to move until she was convinced I wouldn't go back for another bottle.

"Emmalyn's feelings right now are a lot like how I used to feel about Abe." Rose explained. "When we first met, I didn't know who he was, but I hated him for trying to tell me what to do with my life. I mean, he didn't even know me, and he was trying to tell me what to do." She shook her head, and I couldn't help but smile.

She had told me a great deal about her meetings and conversations with Abe Mazur after she returned from Russia and discovered who he was. She had been so exasperated with him for what he did in Russia and how he tried to make her do what she didn't want to do. Yet, there was a fondness in her voice when she spoke then and now that told me she did love him, despite everything else. It was the same tone she used when talking about her mother.

It made me wonder if maybe I could fix things with Emmalyn. Sure, she hated me now, but how would she feel twenty years from now? Would she be fondly recalling her times with me as Rose was now? Or would she still hate me? Perhaps that would be hinged on the decision I make next.

"He and I managed to build a relationship when I found out who he was." Rose continued that fond smile still playing on her lips. "But we will never be able to get the eighteen years back. You and Emmalyn don't have the kind of separation time, but if you don't go after her, you both could end up regretting it. I didn't want to admit it back then, but I really needed my father. Maybe, if he had some influence in my life, I wouldn't have…" She shook her head. "Okay, that's not the point. Emmalyn may be angry with you, and she may hate you, right now, but she will get over. You're her father and you are always going to be her father. She could never be better off without you."

I knew she was right.

Abe Mazur had made the mistake of thinking things would be easier for everyone if Rose didn't know he was her father. He had never been more wrong. He missed out on the first eighteen years of his daughter's life. He didn't get to see anything that made Rose the amazing person that she was today.

True, he and Rose had been able to build a relationship after what happened in Russia, but, like Rose said, he can never get the time back. I didn't want something like that to happen with my baby.

We had a chance to rebuild the bits of our relationship that had fallen apart. I just couldn't give up on finding her and bringing her home. That would be a mistake worse than the one Abe Mazur had made.

I nodded conceding her point, even though I hadn't to admit that she was right. It was easier to just act like Emmalyn would be better off without me and stop searching for her than it would be to find her and have her reject me again.

"Good. Get some clothes on and get packed." I said. "We are heading for Chicago." I nodded again as she stepped away from the mini bar. "And I will be sending Mikhail in to keep an eye on you, so don't even think about grabbing another bottle."

**ROSE**

I walked out of Adrian's room with a small ache I didn't understand. I hated seeing my friend like that, but I had convinced him that he was wrong. I shouldn't be feeling like this. I should be feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, or at least a little happy. I had pulled Adrian back from the edge, but I couldn't help feeling like something was missing.

I had to admit our conversation had been a little strange, and I found myself admitting things to him that I had never admitted to anyone, not even Lissa or Dimitri. My feelings toward my parents, especially my father had always been something I liked to keep to myself. To lay it all out there in front of Adrian had been more than a little weird. It had also, strangely, left me yearning to talk to Abe. I didn't understand it, but maybe it would keep me a conversation with him would get rid of this horrible ache in my chest.

"Mikhail, would you please go inside and make sure that Adrian stays away from the alcohol and gets ready to live?" I called down the hall. "Let me know if he starts acting weird again."

"Of course, Rose." Mikhail answered with a sort of half bow . It was considered respectful to bow to the queen's guardians, but it always made me feel weird, especially when it was my friends doing it. That's why I always encouraged my friends not to do it.

"And Eddie, please let Jill know that I have talked some sense into him." I told Eddie. "Tell her we are preparing for the drive to Chicago. I need to make a call, but I will be in shortly."

"Sure." Eddie nodded and both split off to go do what was asked of them.

I sighed and hit the number 7 on my speed dial. I didn't call him very often, because I never knew what time zone he'd be in, and I hated waking him up. Yet, I really needed to talk to him.

"Hello." He answered in his usual cheery manner. He sounded wide awake, so I stopped feeling guilty for calling him.

Hey, old man, how's it going?" I said trying to sound like the Rose he knew. It didn't work too well, though. God, that conversation had turned me into a blubbering idiot.

"Rose? Is everything alright?" He asked obviously not convinced by my attempts to sound happy.

"Yeah, it's fine. It's just been a while since we talked, so I figured I'd call."

"Uh-huh." He still wasn't buying it. "Does this have anything to do with Adrian's missing daughter?"

"Sort of." I shook my head grateful he couldn't see me. "How did you know about that anyway?"

"Your mom called and told me what was going on." He explained. "She said that you might be calling to ask for help. Is that what this is?"

"No." I shook my head. "There isn't much you can do anyway. Emmalyn's too angry to listen to anyone, right now. And she's traveling with a powerful warlock who could probably put your guys in the hospital and possibly kill them. It's better if we handle this our way."

"I understand." Was his only response. "Not that I don't like hearing from you, but why are you calling, then?"

"I told you, I just wanted to talk because we hadn't in a while, that's all."

"I love you too, Rose." He replied with a chuckle, and I couldn't help smiling a little. When it came to showing affection for my parents, I was really bad at it. Our relationships had been so rocky over the years that I didn't know if I love you were the right words for me to say to them. They always seemed to understand this.

Mom said it a lot in the recent years, but I think this was the first time Abe had actually said the words to me. It was a little weird, but nice. Maybe I wasn't the only one affected by what was happening between Emmalyn and Adrian.

"And if you need anything please let me know." He finished.

"I will." I sighed, getting an idea. "Hey, before you go, Dimitri and I are going to visit Baia after we've brough Emmalyn home. Would you like to join us? I was thinking Mom could come too."

"Sure." He answered. "Let me know the details."

"I will."

"Goodbye Rose.

"Goodbye Old Man."

**A/N: What do you guys think? I know this story is supposed to be focused on Emmalyn and Adrian's relationship, but I started thinking about how this might be affecting Rose, who has such a sketchy relationship with her parents. Dimitria and I thought it would be cute to add a little convo between her and Abe in it. Hope you all enjoy. **

**Also, I know Abe isn't the "I love you" type, but I like to think he has a soft spot for his daughter like most fathers do. **

**Please review and let me know what you think. **


	17. Burning Bridges

**A/N: This chapter was mostly written by the awesomely fantastic Dimitria. Jared's P.O.V. is a collaboration between the two of us and wasn't planned. We both felt this chapter was missing something and thought Jared's antics would round it out nicely. We hope you enjoy reading this one as much as we enjoyed writing it. **

**JARED**

I walk up the hall musing about all the ways I was going to make that asshole vampire pay for taking my daughter away from me; starting with taking his daughter away from him. After that, well, let's just say it is a good thing I never acknowledged that abomination as anything more than the "evil creature of the night" that she was. I was going to do things to her that would make any father, or grandfather's skin crawl, and I was going to make that bastard watch every minute of it. I may even be kind enough to let him hold her as she draws her last breath.

"I need a security update." I demand of the first Warrior I see.

I have been traveling between different Warriors of Light factions for the last sixteen years trying to hide out from those who considered what I did to my treacherous wench of a daughter a crime. I have to admit, though, it was a wonder our two groups didn't join forces years ago. We both want the same things, after all: a world without Strigoi, Moroi, or dhampirs. They just have a more aggressive way of achieving that.

They had accepted me with open arms when I showed up on their doorstep, especially after hearing the tragic story of how my daughter was corrupted by one of the monsters. They were even sympathetic of the fact that she created a demon spawn with him. They were willing to help me seek my revenge.

I spent the last sixteen years climbing up the ranks and becoming a leader of sorts. I travel throughout the different factions to keep my whereabouts a secret, but also to make sure everything was running smoothly. I am now in the perfect position to destroy the little brat, her father, and anyone who got in the way. I just needed her in my custody.

"Well, Sir, the queen's guardians are still watching this place like hawks, but they have yet to approach any of us as we come and go." A female warrior, who wasn't important enough to remember, answers. "However, I would advise against you going outside for now. I think they might be after you."

"I figured as much." I tell her. "A couple of my Alchemist friends have informed me that the abomination is missing, and the Queen has ordered that I be found and taken into custody until the girl is found and brought safely home."

The fact that I am trapped inside the Ohio compound isn't a big deal at the moment. In fact, it's exactly where I need to be. It is where the prisoner that I need to speak with is, and that's all that mattered. Eventually, I would need to get out, but it could be awhile.

"Just keep an eye on them." I say. "We'll deal with it when I am ready to leave."

"Yes, Sir." She replies.

"Now, I would like to see the prisoner."

"Of course, Sir. Matthew is standing guard outside her room. She's been quieter than usual, so you might want to be careful."

"Don't worry. I brought a sedative if she tries anything." I pull the syringe of clear liquid out of my pocket and show it to her.

"Good. Just let Matthew know you want to see her. He'll be happy to let you in."

"Thank you."

I walk away from her and head toward the prisoner's room. I must admit that I'm surprised to find that she is still with us. I thought for sure that ridiculous coven would be willing to quickly get me what I was looking for if her life was in danger. It had been several months and they had yet to deliver. How hard was it to locate and kidnap one teenage girl, especially now that she was out and about with no one to protect her? She should've been in my possession long before now. I guess I was going to have to speed up the process.

"Matthew," I saw when I reach the door. "I wish to see the prisoner."

"Yes, Sir." Matthew pulls the key from his belt and unlocks the large steel door.

I step into the small cell to find my prisoner sitting on the small moth eaten mattress that served as her bed; her dirty, matted hair is hanging in her face blocking her eyes from me. I'm grateful for that, because I was a little unnerved by them. She was wearing the same black sweats and tank top she had been wearing the day I took her from her home. The outfit is much larger on her now than it was when I kidnapped her.

The reason for this is sitting a few feet away from her: a tray of barely touched food that has grown cold. She has been refusing to eat since we brought her here, so the guards have orders not to bring her fresh food until her previous meal was gone.

"I thought we talked about this." I say with a smirk. "If you don't eat, I'm going to have to force feed you, and I really don't like doing that."

Truthfully, I love any chance to humiliate this particular prisoner. Tying her down and force feeding her would simply be another wonderful opportunity to do just that. Unfortunately, the times I've tried have only ended in me wearing more food than she actually ate. Still, it'd be fun if she forces me to try it again.

"The last time I ate the food you gave me, I was sick for a week." She answers. "So you'll forgive me, if I choose not to take that chance with this batch."

I chuckle shaking my head at her. "Well, if you would eat it when it is brought to you, getting sick wouldn't be an issue."

"Don't fuck with me, Sage." She snaps and I'm shocked at the venom in her voice. She used to speak to me with such love and adoration. Now, I'm lucky if I get a polite greeting from her. Part of me hated that I had to do this to her, but that stupid coven brought this upon themselves. "We both know it was poisoned."

"You are too smart for your own good, m'dear." I taunt running my hand over her cheek. "But if you would just stop trying to escape, I wouldn't have to teach you lessons like that. I don't like hurting you. You know I don't."

"Go to hell!" She snaps at me.

I back hand her, and she falls to the bed clutching her cheek. She doesn't make any sound of discomfort, though. Too bad; hearing her scream would've been fun. I may not enjoy hurting her, but a woman's scream of rage and pain is the most amazing sound in the world.

"See, now, I really didn't want to do that." I say in mock sympathy. "If you would just learn to control yourself, this can be a semi-pleasant experience for you."

She snorts out a laugh as she continues to lie on the mattress. "Semi-pleasant? I am your hostage. There is nothing semi-pleasant about that. Besides, if I'm going to die, I'd rather it be on my terms, than yours."

"Who said anything about killing you?" I ask in mock surprise. "I gave my word that you would be returned to the coven once I had what I wanted. And I'm a man who never breaks my word."

"I'm not an idiot, Sage." She snaps. "You said that you'd return me to them. You never said I would be alive when you returned me."

I chuckle and shake my head again. It was one of the things that always amazed me about her. She has that knack for seeing people for exactly what they were. I hadn't decided if I was going to kill her, yet or not, but she definitely wasn't going back in one piece.

"Fine. If you learn to behave for yourself, then maybe you will for _him_." I say. I don't have to elaborate on who I'm talking about. There was only one him she gave a damn about anymore. Her face pales and her eyes grow wide. I can't help but smile at the fear those few words inspired in her.

"You wouldn't dare." She says shaking her head. "If you hurt him, the coven will…"

"They'll what?" I taunt. "They can't do shit. Besides, if killing him is the only way to control you, then I will do it. And you know I can."

She glares at me with her arms crossed over her chest, but nods. I know now that I won't have any further problems with getting her to listen.

"Now, why don't we give _him _a call and remind him what's at stake?" I say pulling out my phone and punching number three on my speed dial. I put it on speaker phone and hold it out to her. "You know what to say." I inform her as it rings three times.

"Hello." Nate, second in command of the coven, answers.

"Good afternoon, Nate." I say pleasantly. "Is the boy around?"

I had been hoping he would be the one to answer. I didn't want my friend to speak until he was on the other end. It would ruin the fun, if Nate told him what was coming.

"He's not here." Nate answers. His tone had suddenly dropped twenty degrees. That only makes me twice as giddy as I was before I called.

"Interesting." I say, wondering what could make that boy leave the coven when they needed him most. "Do you happen to know where he went?"

"No, Mr. Sage." There's a slight tremble to his voice as he tells me this. The entire coven understood what happened to my guest when I wasn't happy. "He just showed up one night with some random runaway girl and took off with her after only a few hours."

"I see." I answer as the wheels in my head start turning. The abomination had run away from her father a few weeks ago. "Did you happen to see what she looked like?"

"She was taller than your average sixteen year old with blonde hair and these gorgeous green eyes." Nate explains. "Honestly, that's all I can remember about her."

"That's all I needed to know." I tell him. It had to be her. It just had to be. Nate had given me a perfect description of the girl I had only seen in pictures taken by my spies. "Is it possible he has caught our fish then?"

"I'd say it is very possible that she is our fish, but I think she's the one that caught him. He told me that he believes she's the one, but if that's the case, I have no idea why he hasn't handed her over yet."

I can hear the jealous and angry tone in Nate's voice. These two have been thick as thieves for most of their lives and never once had a problem. They would protect each other until death, but suddenly Nate isn't as important to him; now that he has found a girl to occupy his time with. It is sad really. But makes my life much more exciting!

"Thank you for that information, Nate. If he returns, inform him that I am quickly losing my patience and my prisoner will be the one to suffer the consequences when it runs out."

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, Nate." I say and switch the phone off.

I turn my glare on the prisoner who hasn't moved a muscle since I got on the phone. In fact, she is returning my glare with on that is equally angry.

"It's not her." She says shaking her head. "He wouldn't risk it." The uncertainty in her tone has me wondering if she is trying to convince me or herself.

"Are you sure about that?" I ask with another chuckle. "I seem to recall he has a bit of a rebellious streak."

"I know him. He knows how important giving you what you want is to the coven. He wouldn't turn his back on us for a girl. He wouldn't."

"You better be right." I growl at her. "Because if you aren't, you'll be the one to suffer the consequences." I pat her on the head condescendingly before heading for the door. "By the way, you won't be getting anymore fresh food until you eat what you already have."

I leave the room without giving her a chance to respond and pull out my phone again. I need a bit of inside help with this one, and I know exactly where to get it. I punch in the familiar number, and it rings several times before his voicemail clicks on. He must be in the middle of something to keep him from answering my call.

"Hello there, old friend. I need you to locate to teens run away teens for me, but I need you to keep Mazur out of the loop. Call me back as soon as possible?" I say. I know he will do as I ask, he has to. He owes me a few favors and I intend on cashing in on every single one of them.

**ALYN**

"Are we going to talk about it?" Davis asks for the hundredth time.

This car has felt like a prison ever since we had started on our trip again. Davis has wanted to know about my latest chat with my father. To call it a chat is a bit of an overstatement. I basically realized that no matter how hard I try to be the perfect daughter, my father is always going to want mom more. He will also use everything I have always wanted to know about my mother against me. Then when all else fails he just decides to call me a slut. I never thought he would do that, but I guess I don't know my father.

"There is nothing to talk about." I inform him for the hundredth time. As much as I wish Davis would just let this go, he won't. He thinks we need to talk about everything, and I just want to let it go.

"Damn it, Alyn! We are going to talk about last night! You woke up bawling your eyes out and told me you had a fight with your dad! Then you asked if I was going to leave you, which came out of nowhere! Now you just want to act like nothing happened! Just open up to me, baby! I am at my wits end."

"What do you want me to say?!" I scream back at him "Do you want to hear that my dad told me that I am the biggest disappointment to my mom, tried using information about my mom to convince me to come home, and called me easy? I am sorry that I just want to forget that he hates me!"

The tears that I have been holding back all day start to flow and they just don't stop. Davis pulls over, and before I know what is going on he has moved us to the backseat where he can hold me.

"I don't want you to hurt, but I think we should talk about what happened. I know you will feel better after you get it out." Davis strokes my hair. For some reason, I feel at home in his arms; therefore, I snuggle closer to him if that is even possible. "Let's start from the beginning." Davis pushes me to talk.

"Well, it started with you getting me drunk." I state more in a joking manner.

"Not my fault and no changing the subject." Davis chastises, tickling me sides a little.

"Well, somehow my dad dream walked with me. We were in the Getty Villa. Apparently, that was where my mom and dad had their first date." I say choking back tears. Davis pats my back encouraging me to continue "He used information about my mom to get me to come back home. All I ever wanted was to know her, and he just uses that against me." The sobs come back. I grab hold of Davis and he holds me together; physically and emotionally.

"It's okay baby." He repeats and soon I calm down enough to continue.

"Then he says I am a disappointment to my mom. So I just went off on him. It made me feel amazing to finally tell him everything I feel. However, he just didn't care, and then said you were going to leave me. I know I shouldn't care if you leave or not but you are the only person who is honest with me. I feel like I am getting too comfortable being with you." I want to say more, but I don't want him to run away from me. He has been like my northern star, and I am falling hard for him.

"Emmalyn, I am falling in love with you. Even if you wanted me to go away, I wouldn't. I won't ever leave you. I have never really had roots or a place I call home; however, when I am with you, I feel like I have both. I won't give you up. I can't give you up. You bring sunshine and laughter into my life. I need you more than you can possibly ever know."

I smile at every word he says. Davis makes me feel loved and wanted, and I couldn't ask for anymore. Soon, I fall asleep on his chest enclosed in his protective arms.

**DAVIS**

Our talk has drained Alyn so much that she falls asleep on me. I wasn't lying to her – mostly. I am falling for her which is dangerous for the both of us. If anyone knew how much I depend on her, I didn't doubt for a second her life will be in danger. I should keep my distance. I should just get her to New York and leave. But having her lying in my arms is my happy place. I feel like I can do anything when she is close to me.

My phone goes off, and it takes some fancy maneuvering to fish it out of my back pocket, but I get it out with enough time for the person not to hang up.

"Hello?" I whisper. I do not want Alyn to wake up.

"Nik, its Nate." Of course Nate would have to ruin this moment.

"What do you want?"

"_He _called." I stiffen. Nate didn't need to elaborate. There was only one he who Nate would feel the need to call me for.

"What did he want?" I ask afraid of the answer.

"He is getting impatient, so _she_ is running out of time." Again, Nate didn't need to call her by name. There was only one _her _that meant anything to me, and her fate is currently in Jared Sage's hands. Another reason I shouldn't be getting this attached to Alyn. I really didn't need to hear that _her _life was in danger.

"Was that it?" I ask trying to keep my composure. I have not allowed anyone, not even Nate, to see or hear me cry over _her _current predicament, and I'm not about to start now.

"Yeah, but I gotta know. Who is more important to you: a girl you barely know or _her_?"

"Whatever, Nate." I snap before ending the call.

I don't want either one of them hurt, but I don't think I can just hand Alyn over anymore. I have promised her I would never leave her, how could I just hand her over to a man I know for certain will kill her? But the other; we have history and I am all she has left. Can I really just leave her there to die?

Looking down at Alyn, she looks so peaceful. She looks so happy. I hope she knows how much I care for her. I hope she knows that what I feel for her is real. I just want to be with her forever, but I guess the universe has other plans for us.

"Wake up." I coo, gently shaking Alyn out of her sleep. I can't be left with my thoughts anymore. Alyn takes away all my worries, so for now I can put off my decision.

"No." Alyn growls and holds onto me tighter. That just makes me laugh.

"Come on. I know where we can go, but it's faraway, so we need to get a move on."

Peeking through one of her eyes she regards me questioningly "Is that faraway place Canada?"

"No, sweetie, but for our next adventure we can go there."

"Then I am sleeping!" Alyn growls again.

"I want to take you to the place I grew up. Do you not want to see it?" I ask hoping beyond hope that she wants to go.

"Of course I want to see where you grew up. I want to know everything about you." That made me smile an actual smile.

"Sweet! Let's get going then!"

**ALYN**

"This rain is crazy!" I scream out.

The skies opened up about three hours ago, and it has made travel terrible. The rain is coming down so fast and hard I don't know how Davis can even see; that fact alone has me on edge. I don't want to die!

"Just relax. I can see perfectly fine." Davis reassures me, as if he can read my mind.

"If you say so." I tell him and busy myself looking through the glove compartment in the stupid Civic.

There are all your regular things in there like insurance cards, phone cords, and a picture. I wasn't really looking for anything; I just didn't want to focus on Davis and his driving skills. But the picture catches my eye and I pull it out to get a better look.

It is a picture from my scrapbook. However, it isn't a picture of my family per say; it is a picture of my dad and me. It is from last spring break when Jill was over. Jill loves taking pictures of everything, so she caught my dad and me sitting on our couch. He is talking to me but I can tell I am not really into it. My smile is fake, and I can tell I wasn't happy. I wonder when the last time I was happy with my father.

"What's that?" Davis asks taking his eyes off the road.

"First, keep your eyes on the road! Secondly, it is a picture from spring break last year. It is off my father and me. I was just thinking that I don't look happy in it." I inform him

"Huh?" He asks. "Do you want to keep it?"

"Not really. I want to move forward and leave all of that in the past." I tell him. I have been thinking about this for a while, and I don't want to be held down by my past. I just want to leave it in the past.

"Okay." Davis says pulling over on a bridge.

"What are you doing?" I question him, as he gets out of the car.

"Trust me." He responds, and I find myself getting out of the car as well.

"Do you still have the picture?" He asks, and I nod. We are in the middle of the huge bridge.

"Can I see it?" I hand it over without much thought.

Davis pulls out a lighter out and lights the corner of the picture. The picture falls out of his hand, and as soon as it hits the bridge, the whole bridge lights up in flames. I scream at the sudden presence of fire.

"Baby calm down. The flames are not real." Davis arms wrap around my waist, and I feel safe again.

"Then why are they here?" I ask still a bit shaken.

"A symbol really. The only thing that is on fire is picture everything else is just a spell." I relax more as he explains.

"Why a symbol?"

"We are together burning our pasts and moving forward onto our future." Davis can be so romantic sometimes that it makes me want slap his arm.

"And the fact that I am soaking wet?" I ask in a joking manner.

"The weather doesn't like it when you cry. Your tears make the sky cry as well."

"That is the cheesiest thing I have ever heard."

"Cheesy, but true." Davis informs me.

Out of nowhere he plants a peck on my lips, then another one and another one until we are making out on a bridge that is on fire. The make out session isn't lust driven or even love driven. It is driven by the desperation of two people to leave behind their past and try tocreate a new future. It is driven by the realization that in this world, we are not alone.

**A/N: No bridges (or innocent bystanders) were harmed in the making of this chapter. **

**LOL! I had to put that in the author's note after a conversation Dimitria and I had about this chapter. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Please review, and show my wonderful co-author some love! **


	18. Don't Carry It All

**A/N: Before I start chapter 18, I just have to say that this story is turning out a million times better than I imagined it would, and it is, in great part, thanks to Dimitria. She is an amazing writer and friend. I am having so much fun writing this story with her. **

**Anyway, chapter 18 is written by me, and I suggest that you pull out a box of tissues, because this one is going to get you guys teary eyed. I hope you all enjoy!**

**ADRIAN**

Rose was as good as her word. We were packed up and out of the hotel within an hour of our conversation. Jill was a little upset that I hadn't gotten all the rest I needed, but I think she understood that sleeping was only making things worse for me. It seemed that every time I closed my eyes, something bad happened.

First, it was the dream about the day my daughter starting believing that I hated her followed by the dream that confirmed my suspicions. Besides, being stationary was making everything that much harder to deal with. I needed to be out there actively seeking my daughter.

True, I was beginning to think spending some time away from each other was a good idea for both of us, but I wasn't about to just go back to Palm Springs while she was still in danger. No, we would discuss her living with her aunt and uncle once I got her away from those stupid boys she was traveling with and dealt with Jared Sage. Once I could be positive that she was safe then I would return to Palm Springs. Whether it was with her or not, would be her own decision.

I just needed to know she was safe before I was able to let her go. Jill, who was sitting next to me, put a hand on my arm and flashed me a sad. Simply being next to her was helping to take the edge off a little. I still had a great deal of alcohol in my system, but Rose's refusal to allow me anymore was helping to sober me up. Jill's presence was also a huge help with that.

Still, I couldn't help but wish Sydney was the one sitting next to me. If she had been there, she would know exactly what to do. Hell, she probably would've been able to stop all of this from happening.

I found myself wishing, not for the first time, that I could have one more conversation with her. She always seemed to know what to say to make me feel better about myself and life in general. She could make smile even when things looked so bleak. Mostly, she reminded me that there were things in life worth fighting for. If it hadn't been for her, I would've lost my battle with alcohol a long time ago. I would've ended up as one of those people who couldn't get through the day without being drunk. I owed her everything.

Those thoughts were enough to drag me back into the dark waters that had been trying to consume me since the moment I discovered Emmalyn was gone. Sydney had literally saved me from myself, and I chose to repay her by driving her daughter away. I sent her into the arms of a complete stranger who would probably end up hurting her. I destroyed that Emmalyn's light the same way Jared had tried to steal Sydney's.

"Adrian, I wish you would stop beating yourself up like this." Jill whispered in her calm, but sad voice. "What Emmalyn said in the dream isn't true. You are not a disappointment Sydney. Nothing you could do would ever make her feel that way about you. She may be upset about what's happening, but she's not disappointed in either of you."

"How do you know for sure, though?" I asked. "She's dead. It's not like she can tell you how she feels."

Yes, I knew Jill had the ability to speak to ghosts. It developed, much like Rose's, after Jill killed a Strigoi who had almost killed Eddie. Rose had taught her how to control it, and Lissa and I were constantly giving her charms to help her control it. I knew she couldn't speak to Sydney though. Sydney wasn't the type who would want to linger on this plane as a ghost. It didn't matter how young or violently she died. She wouldn't have found a way to make peace with it a long time ago.

"You're right, she can't." Jill whispered after a long minute of silence. "But I know her as well as you do. She was like a sister to me in Palm Springs. And I knew everything about her that you did. She just wants you and Emmalyn to be a family."

"I want that too, but I don't think, Emmalyn does anymore." I said what I had been feeling since dream walking with her. "I just think she wants to be as far from me as possible for the rest of her life."

Jill shook her head before laying it on my shoulder. I don't think she really knew what to say. No one else in the van spoke either. I wondered if they were all thinking the same thing, or if they just didn't want to argue the point with me. Either way, the lack of response only made me sink deeper into the churning abyss that was becoming my life.

Perhaps things would be better if I just allowed myself to drown in it.

**SYDNEY**

Being dead seriously sucked. Being a ghost sucked even more. Not only was I stuck in the same white t-shirt and ripped blue jeans I had been wearing the night me father killed me, I was stuck between worlds for an interminable amount of time with no one but Jill for company. Not that I could complain much about that. Jill had always been like another little sister to me. She always welcomed me and did her best to send Adrian my love. She never told him I was still around, though. I think that would've made it harder for him to move on.

I knew I could choose when that time ended, but I couldn't leave the two people who meant more to me than anything else in the world, no matter how desperately I wished to be at peace. I couldn't leave the love of my life and my baby girl behind, especially not now when their lives where going to hell.

I had been bouncing between the two of them and watching everything in the weeks since Emmalyn had run away from Adrian. I had done everything in my powers to get that girl to go home or, at least forgive Adrian for the things he's done wrong in their relationship. None of that was his fault. I wished Emmalyn could understand that. She claimed to understand, but until she actually stood where Adrian was, she'd never know how deep it hurt him to lose me.

I had used my powers as a ghost to force both of them into a spirit dream, hoping they would talk it out there. The idea backfired, because they both have that stupid Ivashkov temper. It ended up creating a greater rift between them. So I planted a picture of Adrian and Emmalyn in the glove box of the Civic she and Nik had been traveling in. I hoped she would see it and remember how much her father loved her. Unfortunately, it simply reminded her of all the reasons she ran away in the first place. She and Nik ended up burning it and turning their backs on their pasts.

Now, Adrian was truly starting to believe that his daughter hated him, and that he'd somehow let me down. He would've drunk that entire mini bar dry in the motel, if it hadn't been for Rose. I owed everyone in that van something for the last sixteen years of Adrian and Emmalyn's life, but I would never owe any of them more than I owed Rose for pulling him back from that ledge.

Still, he was by no means back to the Adrian he had been before Emmalyn left. I needed to get him back to that, but I was running out of ideas.

I was sitting on Adrian's lap in the van while he talked to Jill. I could see that he was drowning in his own thoughts again and needed to pull him back. I told Jill what I needed her to say to him, but that wasn't working. In fact, it seemed to only be dragging him further into despair. Thankful for my weightlessness, I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his chest. He didn't feel a thing and neither did I. I think that was the hardest part of all of this. I could touch him all I wanted, but we'd never be able to feel each other again. Even worse, I could even cry about the empty feeling that left inside me.

Nothing I said to Jill was making any difference to him, and I didn't know what else to do. If I could've just talked to him myself, maybe I could get through to him, but that was impossible. I mean, I was a ghost. I could only talk to the shadow kissed and that didn't do me any good when I didn't want Adrian to know that I was still hanging around after sixteen years.

I had only been able to actually communicate with him, and that was sixteen years ago. I also had the help of Adrian pulling me towards him. I felt his need of my and allowed him to pull me to him in a substantial form. I wasn't sure I could do it again. Besides, I didn't think it'd be helpful if I materialized in front of a van full of my friends. I didn't want anyone to freak out.

I sat curled as tightly against the man I loved for a long time trying desperately to figure out how to help him. No one else in the van said a word. I knew everyone was exhausted, but I wished someone would tell him that he was wrong about his daughter.

Adrian's breathing slowly changed as he fell asleep. My poor guy was absolutely exhausted. Sleeping hadn't boded well for him in the last few hours. Hopefully, this time it would be different. I wished I could help make it different for him this time.

As that thought hit me, I felt the same tug in my navel as the night sixteen years ago. I pulled my head off his chest and looked at him with a furrowed brow. It was only in his sleep that he would allow himself to acknowledge how much he needed me. That was fine. A meeting in his subconscious was a lot better than freaking out our friends. I closed my eyes and focused on merging my mind with Adrian's as I had on that first night.

Slowly, his apartment from when we lived in Palm Springs began to materialize around me. It was complete with its ugly couch, yellow walls, and easel scattered about. On one stood the lily he had on display the day he confessed his love to me. A rush of warmth spread through me as I remembered that day with startling clarity.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to see you here."

I whipped around to find him standing in the doorway to the living room.

"Adrian." I cried and ran to him. I hadn't thought this would work, but now that I knew it did, I was going to enjoy every minute of it. I threw my arms around him, slamming hard into his chest. I had expected to go right through him, but it actually hurt like hell. I could touch him in his dreams!

We held each other for a long moment forgetting about everything that happened in the last sixteen years, if only for a minute.

**ADRIAN**

It took a long time, but I finally gave into the exhaustion that I had been feeling. My past couple sleeping experiences hadn't gone very well, so I was worried what my subconscious would torture me with this time. Honestly, I don't know if I would've considered what happened torture or not.

At first, when I fell asleep, there was nothing but blackness. Not the peaceful blackness that comes with sleep. No, this blackness was dark and terrifying. The funny thing was, I didn't even try to fight it. I still just wanted to get lost in it. It would make all of my problems go away.

The scenes changed very suddenly, though. I don't even think the blackness swirled before I found myself standing outside my old Palm Springs apartment. Latte was parked outside and my stomach sank. Great, my mind was now going to torture me with memories of Sydney and me. I thought about not going in, but realized I couldn't just stand outside. No matter how torturous, this would be a chance for me to see my Sydney again. I just couldn't pass that up. So, taking a deep breath, I walked inside.

The first thing I noticed when I stepped inside was the easel with the painting of the lily on it. Great, I was going to relive the most pivotal moment in our relationship. The moment when I laid it all out of the table for her, and her fear broke my heart.

The odd thing was Sydney was the only one in the room. She was standing in the center of it wearing the clothes that she had died in. She was staring at the scene looking as sad and amazed as I had been.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to see you here." I said before I could stop myself. It wasn't completely true. I had expected to see her here, just not like this. I had been expecting some torturous memory of the two of us. I hadn't expected her to be standing there as if the last sixteen years had never happened.

"Adrian." She cried and ran at me. I opened my arms just in time for her to slam into me. The force of the impact jolted me a little, and I could only imagine that it hurt her. She didn't seem to care, though. She just wrapped her arms around my neck and sobbed into my shoulder. I held her back for a long time, not understanding what was going on.

I knew this was a dream, but it felt like so real, almost like a spirit dream, but I hadn't summoned one. And I couldn't use them to talk to dead people. Yet, here my angel was, clinging to me while sobbing her heart out. I didn't want to get my hopes up that this was real, but I didn't know what else to think. Sydney felt solid in my arms, and her tears were wet on my shirt. What was happening?

"Hey, hey, hey." I whispered, pulling her away from me. "It's okay. I'm here."

"I know." She whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And you have no idea how glad I am for that. I honestly didn't think it was going to work."

"What do you mean?" I asked, pulling her over to the couch, I sat down on it and pulled her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my neck.

"I've been watching both you and Emmalyn over the past few weeks." She answered. "Well, I've been watching you for the last sixteen years, but more so in the past few weeks. I've spent those weeks wishing I could do something, especially this morning when you broke down in the motel room. I wanted nothing more than to go to you and talk to you, but I couldn't make it."

"So what changed?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat. I wasn't going to waste this time with her by crying. No, I was going to treasure every moment of it. Not matter what.

"I don't know, but after you fell asleep, I felt a pull towards you. Almost like you wanting to see me as badly as I wanted to see you, so I focused on us being together in a place we could enjoy it. And here we are. I honestly didn't think it would work."

I nodded as something tickled my memory. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. Sixteen years ago, just two months after Jared took her from me, she came back to remind me that I could take care of our daughter on my own.

"This wasn't the first time." I whispered.

"I remember." Sydney answered, snuggling herself closer to me. I pulled her tighter to my chest wishing that I could just become one with her. That way we'd never have to be without each other again. "You needed me then too, and I came. I thought it was just a fluke, though."

"So did I." I told her. "In fact, I thought for sure it was some hallucination."

"Maybe it was better that way." She whispered.

"Don't say that." I told her. "A moment like this with you is better than no moments at all. I wouldn't trade this, or what happened back then for anything."

"I'm glad." She said nuzzling my neck. I buried my face in her hair trying to take in everything about her before I lost her again "But still, you're having a hard enough time letting go. I don't want these random appearances to make it worse."

"I know, but I need your strength right now." I told her. "I need my anchor and my voice of reason. I need your love." I told her, running my fingers through her hair. She pulled away from me with a sad smile and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

"I know, that's what I'm here." She answered. "I suppose we should get to the point then. I don't know how long this will last. First of all, you will always have my love, Adrian. Not even death can change that. You are the only man I have ever loved, and I wouldn't change a thing about our time to together. I just wish we had had more."

"So do I." I whispered, letting her slide off my lap. I refused to let go of her hand, though.

"And you will always have the memories of our time together to keep you anchored. You just have stop running from them. Remembering me isn't going to kill you or hurt you any more than you already have been. In fact, it will help. Just like talking to Emmalyn about me will help heal your heart, and hers. I'm still here, baby, even if I can't physically be with you. You just have to remember me, that's all."

"It's hard to think about you knowing you're never coming back."

"I'm there every day, Adrian." She said, kissing the inside of my palm. "In that little girl who so desperately needs her father. You just have to find me, but remember that she is still he own person. She will never replace me, but I am there inside her."

"I know. I see it every day." I told her. "Sometimes it is hard to even look at her."

"Don't think about the hurt, just think about the love. The love you have for her. The love she has for you. And the love you both have for me, and the love I have for both of you. This isn't about loss, it is about love. That's what Emmalyn needs."

"What do you think I've been doing for the last sixteen years?" I asked, trying to keep my temper in check. I didn't want to ruin this moment with anger. It was way too important, and I didn't know how much time we had. I would not waste any of it.

"You've been loving her, but you've been smothering her and ignoring her too. You've let your fear for her cloud what's best for her. And you've allowed your pain over what happened to me get the better of you. You have to look at things through her eyes. See it the way she would."

Her words made a lot of sense to me. Yes, these were things that I had been thinking about a lot over the last few weeks, but I didn't completely understand it until now.

"She's sixteen." Sydney continued. "She needs the freedom to be sixteen. I know my father is still out there, and he's still dangerous. But you have to let her go, Adrian, and have faith that everything is going to be okay. Besides, you aren't the only looking out for her."

I snorted at the idea of her having freedom. She had plenty of freedom right now, and she wasn't doing much good with it.

"Have you seen what she's been doing with the freedom she has now?" I asked. "Why would I even consider giving her anymore after all of this?

"First of all, this is my point." She argued, getting off the couch to start pacing. I hated the fact that she let go of me, but I didn't want to make her anymore upset so I stayed where I was on the couch. "She isn't doing anything any normal sixteen year-old wouldn't be. Yes, she isn't doing it in the healthiest of ways, but she's acting like a normal sixteen year-old."

"And I'm not acting like a normal father?" I asked. Every other father I've seen threatens there daughter's boyfriends with guns. How was that any different from using bodyguards?

"Yes, but you're doing too good a job." Sydney told me turning to face me. "She has to be able to make mistakes, Adrian. She needs to experience getting her heart broken. You have to be there to pick up the pieces, not stop her from getting broken. If you do that, she'll never learn how to live. This Nik guy is giving her that."

"Don't talk to me about Nik." I growled crossing my arms over my chest. "Or Davis for that matter?"

She chuckled and came to stand in front of my with a small smile on her lips.

"Nik and Davis are the same boy." She explained. "Emmalyn just prefers to call him Davis, because she thinks that name suits him better. Just like they both think Alyn suits her better. I do actually kind of like it." Sydney shrugged.

"Okay. I still don't want to hear about him." I said smiling back up at her. I had wanted to stay pouty, but it was very hard to when she was looking at me like that.

"He isn't sleeping with her." She told me shaking her head. "The bed in Vegas was only a mess because they were rolling around in, and playing with their money." She was chuckling again. "They haven't done anything more than kiss, yet. He always stops before it crosses the line, even when they are intoxicated."

"Well, if you had been in my shoes, you would've thought the same thing." I pouted crossing my arms over my chest again. My attempt to stay angry still wasn't working.

"Of course, but a normal father would've given her the benefit of the doubt without accusing her of being a slut."

"I never did that!" I stated outraged.

"Well, that's what she heard during the your spirit dream."

"How did you know about that?"

"I was there. I instigated it. It is a complicated process to explain. One of my friends taught me how to do it." She shrugged. "Anyway, she thinks you think the worst of her. I know that's not true."

"Of course it's not." I stated. "I just wanted her to get away from that boy. I don't trust him, and I don't like him."

She smiled down at me again and crawled back into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her again, grateful that she accepted me back.

"From what I've seen of Nik, he's not the boy he's rumored to be." She told me. "He had a pretty difficult past, but he's moved on from it. I really think he cares her and just wants her to be safe and happy. He did stop her from getting addicted to that awful drug."

"I'm grateful to him for that, but something just doesn't seem right about him."

"It's called being a father whose daughter is falling in love."

"She's in love with him?"

"I think so."

"Does he love her?"

"I don't know. I just know he cares for her. Sometimes, I think he is fighting something, but I don't know. I don't know enough about his friends and family to check up on him."

I nodded. "Do you think he'll hurt her?"

"No. He cares for her too much." She answered. "I the worst he will do is get her to Marcus and Zoe, and just walk away."

"That would break her heart." I stated. "It would, but heart break is a part of life. We both know that better than most."

I nodded unable to speak. There was a lump in my throat and if I let it break out, I wasn't going to be able to stop myself from breaking down. Sydney pulled her head away from my chest and looked around.

"Damn it!" She yelled. "It's ending, but there are some things that I need you to know before I go." She grabbed my face between her hands to make sure I was looking at her. "Nothing Emmalyn said in that dream was true. She doesn't hate, and you don't mean nothing to her. You mean everything to her, or she wouldn't be trying to hurt you like that all the time."

I opened my mouth to argue that she sounded pretty serious about it all, but Sydney held up her finger to my lips.

"There's no more time for arguments." She said. "Just shut up and listen for once. You are not a disappointment to me and neither is she. Yes, I think you are both stubborn and pig-headed, but that's something you'll have to work out. Remember what I told you the first time I met you're father."

"You made up your mind about me a long time ago, and nothing was going to change that." I said remembering it clearly in my mind.

"That's right and nothing has. I love you for who you are Adrian, even when you make mistake."

"I love you, too, Sage." I whispered. "And I miss you so much."

"I miss you, too, Adrian. More than you'll ever know." She told me, leaning down to kiss me. I kissed her back long and hard, wanting to savor every moment I had with her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tighter to me. She responded by wrapping her fingers in my hair and pulling my head closer to her mouth.

The world around us began to swirl a little too soon, and Sydney's body was slowly fading from my touch.

"Go find our daughter, and take care of her." Sydney whispered kissing me one last time as everything completely faded away from me.

The world went back to darkness. Thankfully, this was the peaceful one, and I found myself sinking deeper into it.

**SYDNEY**

All too soon, I was out of Adrian's head and back in his lap with my arms around my neck. Jill was staring at him with concern and tears glittering in her eyes.

"It's okay, Jill." I whispered. "I paid him a little visit in his dreams. We talked, and I think he is going to be okay now."

"Are you sure?" She mouthed.

I nodded. "He just needed to hear certain things from the source. I'm going to go check on Emmalyn, but I will be back later. I promise."

Jill nodded and laid her head on Eddie's shoulder. A placed a gentle, weightless kiss on a still sleeping Adrian's lips and faded from the van.

As I imagined Emmalyn face in my head, I found myself wondering if the dream thing would work with her.

**ADRIAN**

I didn't know how long I slept before the sound of John Mayer's "Daughters" intruded on the peaceful blackness I had found after my chat with Sydney. I opened my eyes to find that I had been sleeping for so long that day had become night. Most of the others were sleeping, and Christian was once again at the wheel. I hoped that I had slept through most of his driving shift. Lissa was sitting next to him with her hand in his. The lulling of her head told me that she was sleeping too.

"Hello." Rose's groggy voice finally stopped the horrible noise. "I was." I could hear a man's voice through the other side of the phone as Rose nodded her head. Judging from the ringtone, I could only assume it was Abe Mazur. Why was he calling? Had Rose asked him to help in our search for Emmalyn? "Are you sure?" She asked, looking up to see that I too was awake. "Hold on, I am going to put you on speaker. She hit a button than held the phone out so we could both hear.

"Okay, say that again, Old Man." She said.

"Emmalyn and her companion, Nik are headed to Ohio where Jared Sage is currently hiding?" Abe's voice came through the phone.

"Shit." I said, putting my head in my hands.

"Are you sure?" Rose repeated.

"Positive." Abe answered. "I'm breaking kneecaps as we speak."

Rose let out a little chuckle and shook her head.

"Why would you be doing that?" She asked him.

"It seems one of my employees has been secretly working for Jared Sage for years. He's just informed me that Jared knows the kids are heading there, and he is planning a trap for them."

"Damn it!" I yelled again. "Christian, how far are we from Ohio?"

"Well, that depends on how fast I drive."

"Floor it."

**A/N: Dimitria got her wish. I am now the crusher of dreams! With everyone making guesses about Sydney still being alive, I had to make it clear that she was dead. However, she isn't completely gone from the lives of our two favorite Ivaskovs. Anyway, I hope you guys aren't too mad about this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had to say, I cried a little writing it. I hope you all feel the same way. Please, review. **


	19. Place Where Everything is Better

**A.N. from DA:**

**Hello! So I haven't done one of these for Hurry Home but I have some things to say. Firstly, I have grown to love Annika! She is an amazing friend and writer. I am so happy we are doing this together. Secondly, all chapters in Ohio I dedicate to Annika because not only does she live there but she is just an inspiration. So any descriptions of Ohio or things in Ohio come from real life! Amazing right? Also, I love her! And since she always say these amazing things about me I want to say a few about her; however, I will continue that later.**

**MATTHEW**

I haven't been in contact with Jared in a while. I met him 25 years ago when he helped me save my wife and he soul from those _creatures. _He saved our marriage and, as a result, we had four beautiful children. He even helped two of them become alchemists.

Jared Sage was, is, a great friend, and I owe him all I have. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today. When I was in a rut with work, he used his connections to get me a job with Abe. Abe was a good boss, and the pay is great. But being a friend of Jared Sage comes at a cost.

Jared Sage loves to keep score. Nothing he does is without a price. For fixing my wife, I had get him a date with Deborah, his now ex-wife.

For helping my kid's into alchemy, I had to make sure that no word about Keith touching his daughter ever got out. Jared knew Keith fancied Carly. .He honestly thought Carly wasn't good enough for Keith, but that is a story for another day. When Keith came to Jared saying he made a mistake, Jared was quick to back him up. I, for one, wanted to see him behind bars; however, I owed a debt, and I had to make it go away.

Now, I owed him one last favor for my new job.

That is how got to this point of searching for Emmalyn. I had a few contacts with some extremely powerful witch covens. They promised me they would get me a location. As much as I love Jared, like a brother, I can't wait to be free from debt.

The slight buzz in my pocket alerted me that my informants had done their jobs.

"Hello?" I whisper.

"We have your information." My informant states

"Well, what is it?" I need to get off this phone as quickly as possible, so I do not alert Abe Mazur.

"She is on her way to…"

"Matthew!" A large booming voice calls out to me. That voice makes me want to shit my pants.

"Mr. Mazur." I respond, closing my phone.

"Who was on your phone?" He asks questioning my habits.

"A wrong number." I lie effortlessly.

"Then why did they say they found who you were looking for?" He questions, his eyes forming into slits. "Better yet who are you looking for?"

Damn that vampire hearing!

"My daughter has run away. I thought I had a lead, but it was just a dead end. It was just some girl who looked like her." I try again, hoping beyond hope that he would leave it alone.

"My daughter has a friend," Abe starts pacing as he begins his story. "Her friend too has a daughter who has run away; poor thing out there all alone in the world. Her father is scared to death about what could happen to her. As I am sure you share the same worry for your daughter."

"Yes sir." I respond as my throat dries up.

"Of course you are. But I have been doing some background checks on my employees recently, standard procedure, you understand, and I came across some interesting data. Two of your daughters are alchemist, and as of two hours ago, one is at the Texas base and one is at the Russia base. Your other two daughters are, according to your wife, are safely at home.

Now, before you say anything, I have one more piece of interesting information for you. In your wedding, Jared Sage was the best man. Jared Sage also helped your daughters get good jobs in the field of alchemy and helped you find this job.

"With that being said, I have one simple question," His eyes were fixed on mine, and it was then that I realized what makes Abe the scariest man in the world: he can look at you and, in his eyes, you see your death. "Where is Emmalyn?"

With that his hand was closing around my throat. I felt the bones being crushed. Sooner, rather than later, he would break my windpipe, and I would have no chance of living.

"She is heading to Ohio." I squeak out before everything turns black.

**ALYN**

"This is my favorite bookstore of all time." Davis tells me, pointing to the building right in front of us. It is a store about half the size of your average Wal-Mart. It is a used book store called Ukazoo.

We had been driving around Davis's home town for a couple hours now. To say I was surprised that we ended up in Toledo, Ohio would be an understatement. I have either lived at Court or Palm Springs, which both could count as large cities. Now, being in this little small town, I feel out of place, but the good out of place feeling. It's like I am learning something new, and once I get it, I will fit perfectly.

"I know it is a weird name, but it is my favorite place in the whole world. When you walk in, all you can smell is old books. When I wanted to get away, I would run there and hide for hours."

"Is this before or after you got into movies?" I ask. The most I have heard of him talk about what he likes is movies.

Nik is the biggest movie buff in the world. Every little thing could be in some way or another related to a movie, even those weird independent movies that I can't understand have a huge value to Davis. He thinks every story line is important. It is cute actually.

"It is how I got into them actually. I have always been a reader, but when I saw Finding Nemo for the first time, I realized that movies where just really short books. From there, I started to study movies. I can tell you everything about movies: how they are made, the evolution of movies, the best directors and producers. Everything! But there is something romantically perfect about a good old bookstore. The stories that are hidden in one, the characters." He looked away, and I swear he was blushing. "I am sorry you probably don't want to hear about this."

"No. I love this." I squeeze his hand and turn to face him, "I love hearing you talk about something so passionately! I want to know everything." Davis smiles down at me leaning his forehead against mine.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" Davis questions and I blush. Every day he asks me a question like this, and every day, I blush like crazy. This boy drives me crazy.

""No, you haven't." I say joyously wrapping my arms around his neck bringing him closer.

"Well, you are absolutely stunning today." Davis compliments me and gives me a light peck on the lips.

Then another.

And another.

I pull away to make sure we don't start making out in front of the bookstore on the busy street of Westwood Avenue.

"Now where next on our tour?" I ask, urging him back to the car. As much as I would love to go into the bookstore, I'm not sure how long Davis would want to stay in Toledo, or how soon before my father tracks us down. We needed to keep moving.

"Well, we could go see my grandma." He answers looking at his watch. "It's noon so she will be at Creative Excellence, which is literally a couple miles down the street from here. Every Friday, she goes to get her hair done as a treat for making it through the week. My grandfather always encouraged this because he said 'Women are happy after they get their hair done and a happy women means great sex.'"

"Your grandfather did not say that!" I gasp as we climb back into the car.

"No, my grandfather is a sharp shooter. He says whatever is on his mind without caring who was in the room. I grew up with the craziest stories, and my mom would always shout at my grandfather about what he can and cannot say in front of a child. He would shrug and say 'well, he is going to know about it one day, why not let him get a jump on the game?'"

"Oh my! That is amazing!" I exclaim while laughing at the mental image of a small Davis just confused about life while a woman version of him yells at his grandfather. Davis laughs with me as we pull out of the parking lot.

"My grandmother is no better. She is just as frank, if not more so than my grandfather. They are a hoot." He says.

As the sign for Creative Excellence comes into view, my nerves kick in; he wasn't kidding when he said it was just a few miles down the road. I seriously thought I'd have more time to prepare than this.

I stop short of getting out of the care paralyzed with fear.

What if they don't like me? What if they think I am not good enough for their grandson? Davis doesn't talk to his parents, so these people are the people to impress if I want my relationship to stay alive. Are we even at the stage in our relationship where you meet the parents? I mean we have only been dating for two weeks tops and have known each other for a month tops. I don't know if I can do this.

"Alyn?" Davis asks nervously seeing the anxiety written all over my face. "You will be fine. They will love you." I nod completely unconvinced, but I suck it up and head into the beautiful shop.

"Look who it is!" A woman in her mid-thirties calls out. She has dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. "Baby Nik is in town! Rebecca! Your grandson is in! Isn't that wonderful! He has a girl with him! You know what that means a wedding! Rebecca come out!" The woman yells, and I turn a bright red.

There is no way I could be getting married. I mean, I am not even legally able to. Not to mention my father would kill me. No matter how he feels about me, if I got married I would be hunted down and killed by my father and all of his friends.

"No ma'am I…" I tried to say, but a woman coming out from the back with foils in her hair cuts me off.

"My, my Nikolas! You have grown so much! And look at your beautiful wife. She is really gorgeous, and I bet she is smart.

"Now, Nikolas where have you been? You haven't been home in years, and I thought I would have gotten an invitation seeing as I was the one to raise such a fine man! I am heartbroken."

"Nana," Davis interrupts his grandmother who, by the look on her face, does not like that. "We aren't married nor are we getting married." His grandmother's face, if possible, became more angry and full of distaste.

"Well, why the hell not?!" That took me by surprise. "Dear, what is your name?" She asks me. I'm in shock so it took me a minute before I could answer.

"Emmalyn, but I go by Alyn, ma'am." I answer quietly. This woman scars me!

"Emmalyn is a beautiful, smart young lady! Why on earth have you not asked for her hand? I am sure that a jewel like her has many, many suitors! At this rate, you will never be married. I want great grandchildren before I die!"

"Nana, I have only known her for about a month." He answers shyly. It seems I am not the only one who is afraid of his grandmother.

"I knew your grandfather for two weeks before we got married, and we are still happily married. Now, your parents knew each other for years, and look how well that turned out." Then she turns toward me and says, "We don't talk about that." Before turning back to Davis. "Now, Nikolas ask this woman to marry you!"

"I would, but I do not have a ring, and I don't believe in proposing to a woman until I have everything I need and something nice planned." Davis looks like he had just one upped his grandmother.

"Fine but, by the time you leave again, I want to see a ring on her finger! And you missy," She turns to me, and I'm afraid I am going to get a scolding for some reason, "Welcome to the family!"

With that, she came and gave me a hug.

"Thank you, ma'am." I whisper into her ear as we hug. I feel like part of the family. I feel like I have found a place I fit in.

"Well, Nikolas, this is a woman's place! Now, go visit your grandfather while we get to know Miss Emmalyn."

"Yes, Nana." Davis said, giving her a hug then coming over to me.

"Be strong." He whispers into my ear half-jokingly.

"Don't leave me." I whisper back panic lacing my voice.

"You will be fine. I promise." With that Davis walks out of the room.

**JARED**

"Well, what do you have to say about these?" I scream at her flinging the pictures my informant just sent to me at her. She is scared. Good!

She stares at the pictures with wide eyes. I wonder if she was unable to believe what she was seeing.

"He is bringing her to you. I promise." She pleads as she cowers in the corner on the opposite side of her small cell. She doesn't take her eyes of the pictures.

"Really?" I ask in a mocking tone. "Because that is not what I see here. I see a love sick puppy and that creature!" I pick up a picture of the two of them are kissing. They look so happy and cozy it disgusts me.

"He is a great actor! He is leading her on. You know, girls like that will believe anything. He is bringing her to you." Again she pleads his case. I don't think she is pleading for her life; no she is pleading for _his_ life.

"You better hope that is the case. If not, I _will_ teach him a lesson." I let my threat hang in the hair as the realization hits her.

"What happened to you?" She asks in a low voice. "You were never like this! You used to be kind and loving. I would go as far as to say you used to be a love sick puppy as well. So what happened?" She screams at me, standing she looks the same as the woman I once risked my marriage for.

But her tone is just unacceptable. Grabbing her by her hair, I easily throw her into the wall, crouch down beside her and whisper to her, "What happen to me is simple. You left, and you turned your back on everything you knew was true. If you don't like what you see in front of you, well that is your fault, dearie."

"You're evil. A monster." She whispers back trying and failing to put distance between the two of us.

Laughing, I get up and walk out of her cell. "_You_ have spent too much time with _them_ if you think _I_ am the evil one. I am doing the world a favor. This _thing_ should not exist, so I am setting the world back in balance."

"By killing a girl. Yeah, that doesn't sound evil at all." She mutters to herself.

**PRISONER **

After Jared leaves, I grab the pictures and look at them. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was in love but he wouldn't. I have kept a watchful eye on him, and he has had a few flings but nothing serious, especially nothing serious with a girl he has to deliver to her death. He is smarter than that. OR at least I hope. Looking at these pictures, though, I am not too sure.

The last time I saw him smile like that was when he was ten; the summer before everything went to hell in a hand basket. Well, his life has never been great, but that was before it got worse.

Sometimes, I don't even know how he came out relatively fine. But looking at him in these pictures it is all too obvious that he didn't get out unharmed. He has been sad for a very long time, and if this girl is making him happy, then that is all that should matter right?

But in this life, nothing is ever that easy. No, if he wants to save me then he will have to give away this girl.

The more I look at them, though, the more I see how much they are in love with each other. How perfect they seem to be. Looking at these pictures, I decide that if she makes him happy then I want to die here. If she makes him happy I want him to take this girl and just run away. I had my chance and screwed it up big time. If she is the one then that is all I can ask for. I want him to happy forever.

"Be careful and protect what makes you happy." I whisper to the air as if my words would float on the air to him.

All you can do is have faith, I guess.

**ALYN**

"We are home!" Davis' grandmother yells as we walk into the house.

All afternoon, I sat in Creative Excellence talking with her about everything. She would ask a few questions about me then launched into story after story about Davis. These women kept me laughing, and I couldn't remember when I had just hung out somewhere without a time restriction or people hovering over me. It was an amazing day.

They even got me into a chair and one of the hair stylists did my hair. They washed, conditioned, blow-dried, curled and hair sprayed me into a small town girl. The way they styled my hair you could see the pretty highlights and low lights in my hair, the curls were light, airy and framed my face perfectly off setting my green eyes. Looking into the mirror, I wondered if this is what my mom looked like when she was my age.

I hope I make her proud.

"Thank god!" I hear Davis yell from one of the rooms, pulling me out of my memory.

The house is a perfect little two story. When you walk in you see a small foyer and a closet to the right. On the left is a little window shaped nook which looks perfect for reading! From there, walking into the living room, the first thing that catches your eye is the big bay window. The natural light streaming in it almost doesn't look real. Like how could a place like this exist.

"You look like an angel." Davis whispers into my ear as his arms snake around my waist.

"Not possible." I retort. "This is where you grew up?" I ask a bit stunned that this place exists.

"Yup. Now come on every one is in the kitchen."

Taking my hand, Davis pulls me through the small dining room and into the extremely small kitchen. How we all fit is beyond me. All the basics for a kitchen are there and a small pantry. Nana, as she has instructed me to call her, was already starting dinner while Davis' grandfather was rummaging through the fridge looking for something. Davis and I stood awkwardly off to the side not to get into anyone's way.

"Well, here is the lovely young lady I have heard so much about!" Davis' grandfather calls out and gives me a bear hug.

"Hi Mr…"

"No, I will not have any of the 'Mr.' Nonsense. You are family, so you call me Papa, you hear?"

"Yes papa." I respond as he leads us out of the kitchen to the dining room table where we all sit down.

"So tell us about your family?" Papa questions me like I am on trial. I might be family, but I still need to prove myself.

"I lived with my father in Palm Springs up until recently. I don't have any siblings and neither does my father." I state trying not to give any details that were not important.

"What about your mother?" He asks, taking a long sip of his beer.

"Papa." Davis jumps in; a warning in his voice.

"What? We need to know about her if she is going to be part of this family."

"It's okay. I understand. My mom died a few weeks after I was born." I state and the room's atmosphere changes swiftly. Everyone falls silent as if trying to figure out what to say next.

"Well damn." Papa says taking another swig of beer. "So you are basically all alone?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, not anymore." He states firmly and a smile creeps onto my face.

I blush a little unsure of how to feel about the acceptance that has so easily been given to me. I don't have too much time to dwell on it because Papa keeps firing questions at me.

"Rebecca, where is dinner?" He calls after a while. "We are starving our poor young granddaughter. I mean, she looks anorexic!" I blush a bright red. Yes I am skinny, but I love food and am not at all anorexic.

"Hold your horses!" Nana calls bringing out a meatloaf. Then she makes a few runs back and forth bringing out loaded mashed potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese, and pink lemonade.

"This smells amazing." I comment

"And tastes even better. Now, let's say grace. Nikolas."

We all joined hands as Davis led us in prayer.

"Dear God, thank you for this amazing food. Thank you for bringing me home and for our newest family member Alyn. Amen." Short and sweet yet it brought me close to tears.

"Now let's eat!" Papa calls out, and we all start to dig in. At first all you hear is the clanging of forks on dishes and slurps of people drinking; all the normal sounds of people eating. Even if there are only four of us, we are creating quiet a lot of noise. Back at home, dinners were quiet and forced, but here it is a social event to find out what people have been up to, to make fun of each other, or just to enjoy a nice meal with nice people. Looking back, it is amazing just how much I have grown up. I don't ever want to go back.

"So Davis?" I call out

"Yeah?"

"Superman, really?"

"You told her that story!" He yells at his grandmother.

"Why of course I had to! She has to know all the embarrassing moments of your past before she can enjoy how well put together you are now. Plus, that is the least embarrassing story I told her." She informs her grandson in between bites of food.

"I am going to be sick." Davis calls out.

"Awe babe. Don't be upset. I bet it is normal for young boys to dress up as superman every single day for two years straight. I wouldn't worry about it." Is it mean to say his discomfort is causing me joy?

"Oh, and I suppose you don't do anything embarrassing?" Davis asks tying to shift the spotlight.

"Of course not! I am perfect in every way!"

"Really, well what about the time when we were on the road and you refused to believe that Pluto wasn't a planet?" Davis replies with a smirk.

"That was one time! And we agreed we wouldn't bring it up!" I retort

"If that helps you sleep at night." Davis taunts, so I stick my tongue out at him. The night continues like that. His grandparents argue and we laugh. We all seem to poke fun at each other and enjoy it at the same time. Gone was any judgment or condemnation. No, this is family.

Earlier today, I wondered if I could fit in this small town and without knowing it, it feels like I was always a part of this town. It feels like I was born and raised here, but I have been away for a while. I feel at home. Being here makes me want to stay and not go visit Zoe.

This is the place where everything is better and everything is safe.

**I am done! A long chapter but if I kept writing who knows how long it would have gone on!**

**Please show us some love and review and let us know what you think. Annika and I love hearing what you guys have to say! Also remember without Annika's amazing imagination this beautiful story we wouldn't be here today! Love all the little things!**

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**DA**


	20. Where is the Light?

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait between chapters, guys. I have so many stories that I am working on, and so little time to work on them. It is why I love having a co-author. If it wasn't for Dimitria filling in the gaps, it's anyone's guess how often it would be updated. Anyway, this chapter is written by me, and I am so excited about it. I get to write stuff in the place that I grew up! You have no idea how excited this makes me. **

**Let's get started…**

**ADRIAN**

I slammed Emmalyn's book shut and laid my head against the window trying to make sense of her newest adventure. Ohio was just some random state with nothing special about it. At least, nothing Emmalyn would've considered special. There was no beautiful architecture, or interesting history. It was just a state that would hold no interest for a girl like Emmalyn. At least, not in the way somewhere like Chicago would.

Still, I trusted Abe Mazur. If he said we Emmalyn and Nik were in Ohio, I believed him. I just wish I knew why. That was the key to finding her. According to her book and every conversation we'd ever had about traveling, Ohio held nothing that she wanted to do or see. What could possibly be here? I didn't know.

"Did you find anything, Rose?" I asked. She had gotten herself reconnected to her supernatural google site the minute I voiced my confusion on the runaways' next adventure location and was running another search on Nik Baker. I could only pray that he had some sort of connection to the place. It was our best shot at finding her.

"Nothing, yet." Rose answered. "But it's gonna take a while because I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for. I'm searching the records of all schools, and businesses in Ohio for a Nik Baker, but that's a lot of ground to cover. I'm gonna need more time.

I suppressed my growl of frustration. I knew Rose was doing everything she could to find them, but time was something we didn't have. It was confirmed that Emmalyn was in the same state as Jared Sage, and we didn't know if he knew that. We needed to get to her before he did.

"We will find her, Adrian." Jill whispered, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Just try to relax."

"How can I relax, Jill?" I asked, trying to keep a clamp on my temper. She was only trying to help, but I was getting really sick of being told that I needed to relax. "My daughter is in the same state as the man who wants to see her dead, and we have no idea where in that state she is. How am I supposed to relax?"

"Because, even though, we don't know where Emmalyn is, we know where Jared is." Lissa answered in that calm, gentle way of hers. "He is at the Warriors of Light compound in Toledo. I have guardians on the place, who are supposed to call me if he leaves. We haven't heard anything yet, so I think it is safe to assume that he is still there."

"That's nice to know." I said through gritted teeth. And it really was, but it wasn't enough to calm me down. I still didn't know where my baby was, and with only a stranger, who may or may not want to kill her, as protection. No, I couldn't feel any better about any of this, no matter what anyone says. "But I won't be able to completely relax until she is in my arms, again."

"That's understandable, man." Christian said. "Lissa and I would feel the same way if it was our babies out there. We will track her down before Jared does, and if we don't, I will personally burn his ass to a fucking crisp."

I couldn't help but smile as his words. Christian and Emmalyn had always been extremely close. He had loved her like a daughter long before Rosie and Josie were born, and she continued to hold a special place in his heart. He really would kill for her. That being said, I had no doubt Christian would've been able to convince her to come home. Unfortunately, he could only talk to her face-to-face.

"I got something!" Rose practically screamed as her fingers tapped the keys furiously. "Nikolas Davis Baker graduated from Start High School."

"And where exactly is Start High School?" I asked, turning to look at her. She bit her lip and shook her head.

"You aren't going to like it." She said.

"She's in Toledo, isn't she?" The little bubble of hope I had been feeling in my stomach popped painfully. Why couldn't she have at least been in a different city than him? "How far are we from there?"

"According to the GPS, we are about an hour away from the compound where Jared is hold up." Lissa answered punching some buttons on the fancy electronic device that was sitting in the middle of the dashboard. "But with Christian's reckless driving, we can cut that in half." She teased. Christian shook his head, but I felt the car accelerate.

"What if we get pulled over?" Jill asked whipping her head back and forth as if expecting a cop to pop out of nowhere. "I mean we are already going forty of the speed limit."

"Relax, Jill." Eddie said, patting her leg. "We got Lissa with her super compulsion, and Adrian to help her out. If we get pulled over, it will do nothing more than delay us, and possibly get us a police escort to Toledo."

I chuckled a little at Eddie's joke, but the suggestion stuck with me. A police escort would mean that Christian would no longer have to weave in and out of traffic. The cars would move out of our way, and we could get there much faster.

"No, Adrian." Jill warned. "We can't intentionally get humans involved in this. Jared might be crazy enough to hurt or kill them."

"I know." I sighed. "I just want her back so bad."

"I know, Adrian. We all do, but we can't risk innocent lives."

"We found something else." Dimitri's voice came from behind me. He had been sitting next to Rose, playing with her hair, while she tapped away on the computer.

"What?" I asked.

"It seems that Nik lived with his grandparents in Toledo from the time he was twelve until he dropped out of high school." Rose stated. "It doesn't say why, but I think I've got a current address for his grandparents. And according to this map, it is less than five minutes from the compound."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly to avoid putting my fist through the window.

"Could this possibly get any worse?" I said just as the sound of John Mayer's Daughters filled the car.

**JARED**

"Are you sure?" I practically growled into the phone. I was seriously surrounded by idiots. How hard was it to get information about two teenagers without getting caught?

"Positive." Taryn replied in barely above a whisper. "Mazur has had Matthew in an interrogation room for nearly three hours. I don't know what he's found out, but he's called his daughter twice in the last three hours. Both times he made sure no one would overhear him. I imagine Matthew's spilled everything."

I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose as I watched my prisoner from across the room. She was sitting on her mattress with her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. The pictures that I had left with her were scattered about the mattress and she was staring at each of them with tears in her eyes. According to her guards, she had been doing this since the last time I left her.

I had been trying to get her to tell me what she was thinking as she looked at the disgusting display of affection for a good half hour before Taryn called.

"Perfect." I said. Matthew was one of my most trusted informants. He had known everything about my movements over the last sixteen years. He knew my plot to use the Baker coven to help me get my hands on Emmalyn Ivashkov, and he knew I intended to kill her once I had my hands on her.

Now that Mazur had discovered his treachery, he would no doubt spill everything, and Mazur would tell his stupid slut of a daughter who would tell Emmalyn's father. If Adrian knew what I was up to before I got my hands on his precious little girl, it would be all over. There was no way he would let me get my hands on her before I had a chance to do any damage.

I needed to fing a way to fix this and quickly, or everything would fall apart.

"Thank you, Taryn." I said. "For letting me know what is going on. Are you sure they are in Toledo?"

"Positive." Taryn answered. "Damien knew something must have happened when Matthew hung up on him, so he called me to make sure you would get the message."

"Good." I said. "Be careful. I don't need to lose another one of you." I snapped the phone shut without so much as a goodbye. I had more important things to deal with. I got up and went over to my prisoner, kneeling in front of her, so we were at eye level with each other. "It seems we need to move up our time table a little. Miss Emmalyn's pursuers are getting closer than I would like them to be. I need her in my possession before they find her."

"Then you better get out there and find her." The prisoner responded not taking her eyes of one of the pictures of Nik and Emmalyn holding hands as they walked across a parking lot.

"I have a better idea." I said handing her my cell phone. "You are going to call lover boy and tell him, his time is up. You are going to tell him that he has an hour to deliver her to me, or I will kill you. And you're going to do it now."

"No." She said finally looking at me. There was a fire in her eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time. I was ashamed to say that it made me a little hard to see it there again.

"Excuse me?" I asked unable to believe what I was hearing.

"I will not call him." She said. "I will not let you hurt him anymore. I will not let you take her from him."

This was not what I needed to hear right now. True, she had never been completely compliant, but whenever I wanted to do anything that involved Nik, she would do it without argument, for his sake. Now, she was flat out refusing to talk to him. I could have that. She was the only thing I had to convince him to bring me the girl. If I lost her because she suddenly got sentimental, then I had nothing.

My hand snaked out in a move so fast, she didn't see it coming. She screamed as my fingers tangle tightly in her hair, yanking her head back hard.

"You are going to call him, love, or I swear you will regret it." I growled in her face.

"The only thing I regret is that it took him this long to find happiness." She growled back. "I will never regret not letting you take it from him." She spit in my face, and I backhanded her hard.

She fell to the mattress with a shriek of pain while I wiped my face. When she started to sit back up, I put my foot on her chest and glared down at her.

"Believe me, you will regret this disobedience and so will he." I growled at her. "I'm going to enjoy making you watch as I rip the little bitch away from him just as much as I'm going to enjoy making him watch you die."

She paled at my words, and I couldn't help but smile. She had known all along that she was going to die, but I doubt she thought I would do it in front of her precious boy. I hadn't planned on it, but her refusal to do as I asked had pissed me off. They would both pay for their betrayals.

"Just kill me and leave them alone." She pleaded.

"Not gonna happen, love." I said, heading for the door. "But things would've been a lot less painful for everyone if you had just done what I asked."

"Go to hell." She growled.

"I intend to."

**ROSE **

Dimitri pulled the laptop off my lap as I fumbled for my phone. Abe must have found out something new about Nik and Emmalyn from the man who had betrayed him. It would be the only reason he would be calling me so soon after his last phone call.

"Give me good news, Old Man." I said when I finally got the phone out.

"I'm sorry, Rose, I can't do that." He answered. "But perhaps you should put me on speaker again. I don't think this is something you want to have to tell Adrian."

My heart sank at those words. Adrian, my best friend, had been through so much over the last few weeks. He didn't need any more heart break or bad news. He had barely recovered from his last break down. I didn't need to send him reeling into another. I had a feeling that is what would happen with this bit of news.

"Okay." I sighed. "But be gentle." I pulled the phone away from my ear and hit the button for the speaker phone. "Okay, what do you know?"

"This boy, Nik, that Emmalyn is with cannot be trusted." Abe said. "Matthew refused to tell me everything, but apparently, Jared Sage has ajor leverage that he can use against Nik. He's been controlling Nik with it for years. If Jared tells Nik to bring him Emmalyn, he will do it, even if he doesn't want to."

"Damn it!" Adrian cursed and punched the back of Christian's seat. I felt the car jolt as Christian pressed the gas to the floor. We needed to be in Toledo like yesterday.

"This isn't good." Dimitri said. "Jared is in the same city as Nik and Emmalyn right now. All it would take is one phone call."

I swallowed hard as the car fell silent.

"I will do what I can to get more out of him." Abe said. "But it doesn't look like he is going to last my interrogation much longer."

"It's alright, Old Man." I said. "We will take it from here. Try not to kill him, okay?"

"I will do my best."

I clicked the end call button and waited for somebody to say something. Nobody did. Not even Adrian. After his outburst, he sat in the seat in front of me, seething. Jill was the only one who didn't seem frozen by this news. In fact, she was shaking her head at something in front of Adrian with tears rolling down her cheeks.

I noticed that her lips were moving, but she wasn't saying anything. Who was she talking to? She laid her head on Adrian's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, almost to herself.

"Christian, how much longer?" I asked not wanting to draw attention to Jill's odd behavior. There was something familiar about it, but I was too keyed up to realize what it was. I didn't want to say anything, just in case it was a secret. I would talk to her about it later.

"Ten minutes, maybe twenty." He answered as the car accelerated a little more.

"We may not have that kind of time?" Adrian said. "What if he gets her before we get there?"

"Then we will find him and get her back." I told Adrian, putting my hand on his shoulder. "And then we will make sure he can't go after her ever again.

Adrian nodded, but I could tell he didn't believe me. There was nothing we could really do until we got to Toledo anyway. Nothing but pray, that is.

It was funny how God and I didn't have the best relationship, but I had been doing a lot of that in the last few weeks. I could only hope God was listening.

**JARED**

I walked out of the prisoner cell, slamming the door behind me. I was going to have to give her a little reminder of who was in charge. It seemed my rough treatment of her wasn't enough to get her back in line. I'd have to send someone a little tougher than I was in.

"Anthony," I said to the guard outside her door. "I will be sending Micheal up in a little while. He is going to remind out prisoner who is in charge here. Just make sure he doesn't kill her. I still need her to lure the boy in."

"Yes, sir."

I headed toward the meeting room as a plan started to form in my head. If I couldn't get the boy to bring the girl to me, then I would go after them both myself. I just needed to figure out ow to get out without being spotted by the guards.

**ADRIAN**

"There's the compound." Lissa said, pointing to the large building we were driving by.

"And here's our exit." Christian said as he quickly maneuvered the car to the off ramp, narrowly missing several cars as he did.

The place was huge, and I couldn't imagine that Lissa had enough guardians here to cover the whole thing. There had to be a way for Jared to sneak out if he really wanted to.

"There are at least a hundred guardians surrounding the compound." Lissa explained. "And fifty more not far from it." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Guardian Cyrus," she said when someone finally answered. "Yes, this is Queen Vasilisa, we have just arrived at the compound. Where can we meet you to discuss what is going on." There was a pause. "Okay, hold on." She pulled the phone away from her ear and hit a button, holding the phone between her a Christian. "Okay, tell Christian where we are going."

Guardian Cyrus gave Christian directions to a park not far from the compound while I lost myself in my thoughts. For the first time in sixteen years, I was in the same city as the man who killed the woman I loved and was indirectly responsible for my broken relationship with my daughter. I wanted nothing more than to find him and strangle him with my bare hands. I wanted to make him pay for the pain he had caused me over the last few years.

I wanted to end him, so I could get my daughter back, and we could fix what was broken. I knew barging into the compound and doing exactly that wasn't the best idea, but it was so hard to be so close to him and not be able to do anything about it.

"Breathe, Adrian." Jill whispered, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "He will pay for what he did, but it will be at a time in place when we stand a chance at winning.

I nodded at her unable to do anything more. Christian had pulled us into a parking lot in the very back of the park. Three guardians were waiting for us at the edge of the parking lot. It was a sunny, warm day and human families where out playing with their children. The guardians were dressed down in jeans and t-shirts in order to blend in with everyone else.

We climbed out of the van and Lissa shook hands with each of the guardians.

"There is a spot just through these trees that gives us a perfect view of the compound." One of the guardians said. "Guardian Cyrus is there awaiting your orders, My Queen." He gave her a little bow.

"Thank you, Guardian McIntyre. Please, lead the way."

We followed the three guardians through the trees with the sun beating down on us. The dhampirs didn't have much trouble with it, but it was hard for the rest of us to even move in it. Thankfully, the trees provided a decent amount of cover and we made good time.

"Guardian Cyrus, what's the update?" Lissa asked when we joined the others.

"Warriors have been coming and going like crazy since we've been stationed here, but no sign of Sage." Cyrus answered. "He has been keeping a very low profile since we've arrived. I think he knows we are here."

"Good, maybe that will keep him inside until we find Emmalyn." Lissa answered. "But we need you to keep an eye out for anything out of the normal going into the compound."

"What do you mean, Highness?" Cyrus asked.

Lissa sighed.

"We have reason to believe that the boy Emmalyn is traveling with will be bringing her to the compound at any time. I need to know if someone matching Emmalyn's description goes in. At our last sighting, they were driving a Honda Civic, so be on the lookout for that as well." Lissa reached into her pocket and pulled out the picture of Nik she had been carrying around. "This is the boy she is traveling with. If you see them trying to go in, you are to detain them both, and restrain the boy using any means necessary, then call me."

"Yes Ma'am." Cyrus answered with a salute.

"Good, now we are going to be scouring the city, trying to find where they might be. I would like to catch them before they get to the compound."

"Of course, Ma'am." Cyrus answered. "I will have the photo passed around so everyone knows what he looks like."

"Thank you, Guardian Cyrus."

Cyrus's phone started to blare as we turned away.

"Cyrus." He practically barked, bringing it to his ear. "Are you sure?" He asked after a pause. He nodded as the guy on the other end continued talking. "Okay. Follow him. I want to know every move he makes while out of the compound."

He hung up after another short pause.

"Jared Sage's car just pulled out of the compound a few minutes ago."

**A/N: I hope you guys liked this. I really struggled with it. There was supposed to be a lot more, but things were starting to get too long, so I stopped it here. There will be more on them after a little Alyn and Davis action. Anyway, please review. I wanna know what you guys have to say about this one. **

**Also, Dimitria and I feel like Alyn and Davis need a couple name. We can't decide between: Nalyn (A combo of Nik and Alyn) or Alvis ( a combo of Alyn and Davis), so we are going to let you guys decide. I'm going to put a poll on my profile and leave it up until 12:00 am, Saturday, August 24. The winner will be announced shortly after that. So go vote! **


	21. I Love You

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait between chapters this time guys. Dimitria and I have both been extremely busy recently, but we are working very hard to keep this story as one of our priorities. This chapter was written by the amazing Dimitria. Words cannot describe how amazing I think this chapter is. I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say about it. I'm sure you will agree that Dimitria is ten times more amazing than I am. Anyway, please enjoy. **

**DAVIS**

"You know your mom would have loved her." Nana says taking a seat next to me.

I was sitting at the dining room table. The clock just struck midnight. I haven't been able to sleep because of all the questions that were swimming in my head. Nana had allowed Alyn and me to share my old room on the first floor, and I am grateful for that. It would have been torture to not be able to sleep in the same bed as her. However, no matter what I do I cannot fall asleep.

"You think?" I ask coming out of my thoughts.

"Yes I do!" She exclaims "Emmalyn is sweet but she has sass! I think she is perfect for you, and your mother would just jump for joy if she saw how happy you are."

I crack a smile at her words.

"You know when your parents left you here." She goes on, and I tense up.

It was the worst time of my life. My sister had just died, and my mom couldn't stand my father. There was so much distress that my mom dropped me off at my grandparents' house saying that she would come back for me as soon as she can. I was a freshman in high school when that happened.

"I was worried about you." Nana continues. "You were so young, and I didn't know how the death of your sister would affect you. You started made a few friends, but you were always sad. I called your mom a few times, but she never answered my calls. Then you left, and my worries increased. God knows what your father got you into, but now you have a partner that can share your burdens.

"Emmalyn may seem fragile, but she is stronger than she looks. She has such an inner strength that cannot be taken from her. Come clean to her. Tell her the full truth, and remember she loves you as much as you love her."

"How do you know I am lying to her?" I ask flabbergasted that she guessed that.

"Because you're sitting at the dining room table in the middle of the night lost in your own head instead of sleeping next to your beautiful girlfriend."

I laugh at her words. Of course she would know I haven't been completely honest with Alyn. Nana just knows everything about me. It can get kind of creepy.

"Okay, okay." I concede "I will go to bed and think about coming clean."

"Okay my boy!" Nana coos and gives me a kiss on the head before she retires again for the night.

I laugh at her retreating figure. Knowing that my mom would have loved Alyn gives me a peace I didn't even know existed. I zombie walk back to the room Alyn and I are sharing and plop down on the bed.

"You're back" Alyn says groggily. She turns over and snuggles up to me.

"Yeah I am back. Now let's sleep." I whisper to her.

She gives me a slight nod before drifting back into sleep. I follow in suit.

**ALYN **

It happens before I get a chance to stop it. I have been sober since my fight with my dad, so I thought my blocks where up but for some reason I get pulled into a spirit dream. I immediately start to fight to get out. I had a great day with Davis and his grandparents; I don't want my dad and his friends to ruin this. I am happy for Christ's sake!

"Don't fight it." I hear a female voice say in a calming and soothing voice. It is a voice that I have never heard and turning around I see the face of a woman I have only seen in pictures. Standing right in front of me is my mom.

"Mom?" I squeak out. It feels foreign saying it since I have never said it before to anyone. I don't know if this is real or a weird hallucination from some weird side effect of drinking.

"Yeah, it's me baby." She says with tears in her eyes as I run up to my mom and give her a hug. I never want to let her go.

"Is this real?" I ask through the tears falling down my face.

"Yes this is a different kind of spirit dream. I am here and so are you."

"But you died! How is this even possible?" I ask incredibly confused about the whole thing.

"Yes I did die but my spirit didn't pass on to the Other Side so I have been watching you your whole life."

As soon as she says it fear grips me. What if dad was right and mom hates me. What if she doesn't love me because I have disappointed her? Before I know it I am sobbing in my mother's arms like a little kid.

"Sweetheart, what is wrong?" She asks.

"Do you hate me? I am a disappointment to you? I am so sorry." I manage to get out in between sobs.

"Oh sweetie!" She says taking my face in between her hands so I can look into her eyes. "I love you more than anything. Nothing you do could ever make you a disappointment to me. You have grown into a beautiful young lady. I am nothing but proud of you. Your father just said that because he was angry and scared. He didn't mean it." She says wiping away all the stray tears. I give her a small smile.

"_This is what it is like to have a mom."_ I think to myself.

"Now, I don't know how long this will last so we need to talk about some things." My mom says once I've calmed enough to truly listen. The tone of her voice tells me that she isn't playing around. I push away from her and start to pace as I panic. What had I done to upset her already?

"What did I do?" I ask more out of habit than anything else.

"Well, let's get all the serious talk out of the way first." She starts then looks me in the eyes "Drinking, really?"

I lower my head in shame.

"It's not like you didn't experiment when you were my age!" I retort back at her as I try—and fail—to keep from blushing.

"Hey, I am not judging you. I just want to make sure you are being safe. And, for the record, I wasn't able to experiment with anything at your age. I was homeschooled, and my father was a jerk." She says a bit deflated. "Now back to what I was saying, drinking can become addictive and could lead to alcohol poisoning and liver failure! You need to be safe about when and how much you drink."

"I know, I know." I say back "I probably will never drink again thanks to the fight dad and I had." I grimace remembering that terrible night.

"Well, I am glad we have that covered, and I am glad you brought up your dad. We need to talk about your relationship with him."

"Do we really _have_ to?" I ask hoping I can get by without talking about him.

"Yes, we have to talk about him. You and your father are the most important people in my life, and I will be damned before I letting the two of you destroy your relationship like this." My mom exclaims with her hands on her hips. She means business.

"It's not like I don't want to have a relationship with him" I start "I just am tired of all the rules. Like I understand a few rules to keep me safe. But _mom_, he has _so many_ rules and he doesn't listen to me! He doesn't really care about _me_ as a person. He cares about me because I am a part of you."

Tears fill my eyes, but I choke them down.

"You know mom there was a time when I wanted to be a painter like dad. He doesn't paint anymore, but I saw a few of his paintings that filled Aunt Lissa's house and Aunt Rose's apartment, and I decided I wanted to be just like him. But he didn't care. He just saw a piece of you, and he never saw me!" Somewhere in all of that my mom comes up and hugs me as I get all my feelings out. "I just want a dad that loves me."

"Sweetie, I am not saying that I am siding with what he has done. I am not siding with anyone, but he is doing what he thinks is right to keep you safe. He loves you more than the world. This whole trip has shown him how to be a better parent. We all make mistakes and nobody is perfect, not by a long shot, which is why we should always give others a second chance, especially those we love.

"I know for a fact that your dad sees you as your own person. He loves you more than you can possibly understand. You're his baby girl, and nothing will change that. Now, I know you guys have had fights in the past, and he has accidentally called you by my name, but he didn't mean it. He became a parent at a young age and lost his wife at a young age as well. He doesn't know what to do, and what not to do. We all have to cut our parents some slack for the mistakes they have made." She finishes up her speech, and I look up to see how alike we look.

I can see where I got my hair and facial structure from. We look extremely similar, and if I didn't know any better I would get the two of us mixed up. Now, seeing it I can't really fault my dad for that. I want to, but I can't.

"Even your father?' I ask wondering if she has ever forgiven her father for what he did to her.

"Yes, even my father." She says cracking a smile. "However, if he hurts you , that'll be an entirely different story."

I crack a smile at her trying to make a funny.

"Okay." I say squeezing her tight. "After I get to Aunt Zoe's place, I will call dad and tell him where I am so we can talk things out." I propose a compromise.

"That is all I can ask for." She says squeezing me back "Now let's talk about this boy. Nikolas, is it?" I blush like crazy. "Tell me about him!" My mom prompts me.

"Well he is great!" As I begin my mouth stays open and words just start to fall out. "He is freakishly tall! I think I am going to measure him to find out his exact height! Also, he has short black hair. It has grown out recently from our road trip. And mom, you should see his eyes!" I close my eyes picturing those beautiful orbs as my whole body tenses at the memory of them. "They are blue, but they have like a swirl of purple in them. I could get lost in them for days. He is super sweet and kind. He makes me smile when I cry, but can be can be really frustrating at the same time! He has become my best friend. He knows everything about me and probably knows me better than I know myself. He has a wonderfully pure soul! He makes me feel special, and he treats me like a princess yet he calls me on my crap! I really like him mom!" I finally shut up, and my mom is just smiling at me.

"I am glad you like him and I think he really likes you to. I would go as far as to say that he loves you." Her words made me blush even more.

"Since you have been watching me my whole life you have seen him, do you like him?" I ask suddenly nervous to get my mom's approval.

"Yes I like him because you like him. Just remember that everyone makes mistakes, and you can't hold them against people." I smile and nod. We could have kept talking for hours, but I was being called into the waking world.

"Bye mom, I love you." I call out.

"I love you Emmalyn, more than anything in the world." That was the last thing I hear before I open my eyes and look directly into Davis' eyes.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Davis says as he stretches. We fell asleep with my head on his chest so even if he moves a little I would be moving with him.

"Yeah. But it is fine." I say with an easy smile.

"What has you in such a good mood?" Davis asks; which is a valid question. In the mornings, I am not known to be up and happy. I am not an early morning kind of person.

"I had a spirit dream with my mom." I inform him.

"I thought she was dead?" He asks

"Oh she is. Her spirit hasn't crossed over so she used our genetic connection with a little help for our collective powers to talk to me in my dreams." I do my best to explain, and he seems to understand.

"Well, since you're in such a good mood…." He lets the sentence drop off and before I could question anything, he starts to tickle me!

"Stop!" I say gasping for air my giggles filling the entire room.

Soon enough, after spazing out for a good ten minutes or so, he finally stops tickling me. We end up with him on top of me to get a better angle at my ribs, and every kind of blanket and pillow thrown haphazardly around the bed and room.

"I am mad at you!" I inform him with a smile on my face.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really!" I try—and fail—to push him off of me, but he just grabs my wrists pinning them above my head.

"Well in that case I am so very sorry." He murmurs against my lips.

"I accept your apology." I whisper back.

"Good." With that he gently pecks my lips.

As soon as our lips meet, a hunger that should not even exist takes over me. At that moment, I don't want sweet kisses; I want to be ravished. We pull apart for one second, and I see the need and desire that is consuming me warp his face. His lips crash onto mine. It is like we have both been starved and are finally getting food.

We have made out before, but this time it is different. This time it is full of freedom, love, desire, and wanting to be closer. A physical need to be closer than we have ever have been. I let out a soft moan as Davis intertwines his fingers in my hair.

The sound of the doorbell freezes as both. We stare at each other asking the same silent question: Who would be visiting Nana this early in the morning. Nik puts his fingers to my lips as my dhampir hearing picks up the sound of a door opening followed by a familiar voice.

"Hi, we are looking for your grandson, Nikolas Baker, and a female he is traveling with." Lissa kind but firm voice floats through the house. "Her name is Emmalyn Ivashkov also going by Alyn Sage. Have they been here?"

Both of us hold our breath for a long moment as I come to terms with the fact that I have been busted.

"I am sorry, but I haven't seen my grandson in a very long time. He left as soon as he could." We could hear Nana getting choked up about the whole thing. But she was covering for us. I say a quick pray of thanks. I don't want to be found, but I want even less to be found like this with Davis. My father would kill him. "If you find him please tell him to come home."

"Ma'am," My dad's voice picks up where Lissa's left off. "My daughter ran away from home. I am just trying to find her. She is in a lot of danger and if you know where she is, you are doing more harm to her by not telling us where she is."

"I had a daughter once. She was a beautiful, young thing but as soon as she could, she up and left. I know this might be hard for you but sometimes children need to be away from their parents to grow into their own. I haven't seen your daughter, but maybe if she doesn't want to be found, you should stop looking." I had to try my hardest to suppress the laughter the threatened to ruin this all. Nana was freaking amazing.

"Ms. Baker," Lissa tries again, and I can hear the he slipping into the calm tone she uses when working compulsion. That little trick could ruin everything. I hold my breath as I continue to listen. "Do you know where she is?" I can tell she is losing her patience because she is using compulsion. She never uses compulsion unless she has to.

"No, and if you try your little trick on me again, I will make sure you never move again."

Well, apparently, Nana knows some pretty powerful spells.

"If you hurt her in anyway, I will rip you to pieces." Rose growls, and I gulp. Nana didn't know not to threaten the queen of all vampires, especially in front of her guardian and best friend. I wouldn't put it past Rose to follow through with the threat.

"Thank you for your time." Dimitri cuts in and I can see him putting a calming hand on Rose's shoulder and ushering everyone from the house.

After the front door closes Davis and I just stare at each other. After about a minute of complete silence we bust up laughing.

"My dad would have killed you if we got caught like this." I say between my fits of laughter.

"My Nana would skin me alive! There would not be anything left for your dad." He says in between laughs.

"If we don't get a move on it then we will get caught." I inform him. Sighing Davis rolls off of me onto his side of the bed.

"You know we could just hide in here all day." Davis says, but I shake my head at him.

"No, because my dad is here, which means we need to get a move on or by the end of the day every house in this little town will be burnt down in order to find us. I know my dad doesn't believe we aren't here, so move it or I am leaving without you." I threaten him and just like that he is up and getting dress.

Davis has the best body. Every muscle is perfectly sculpted, and he just looks delicious. I find myself staring at his back just thinking about everything we could be doing instead of leaving.

"You know, if you keep staring, I am going to think you only like me for my body." He accuses with mock hurt lacing his voice.

"Well, I do only want you for your body." I retort as I rip my gaze from his back and focus on getting dressed. That isn't much of a problem because we only have two outfits each since we left all of our clothes back in Arizona.

I decide to wear one of my pairs of jeans and Davis' red flannel. His shirts are so much bigger on me and I am going for the comfy look. I am not dressing up to sit in a car for who knows how long.

I am going to miss Toledo; I have fallen in love with this place. It feels like home. His grandparents are amazing, and I know if I ever find myself in Ohio, I have family here. But this is life on the run. You never settle down in one place for too long. Maybe after I make up with my dad, I can come back to visit; that is if my dad ever lets me see the light of day.

"You look amazing wearing my clothes." Davis whispers into my ear as his hand snakes around my waist pulling me close, effectively pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I wanted to be comfy." I inform him as he kisses down my neck. I tilt my head away from him, giving him better access to my neck.

"Hmm." Is all Davis says; he is too preoccupied with making me go insane. I let a low moan because it feels like heaven. I could stay like this for the rest of my life.

"We have to go." I murmur hoping he ignores me.

However, he chooses to listen to that and reluctantly backs away from me. The only suitcases we have are full of money, and we didn't trust to leave them in the car. I grab one, and he grabs the other as we walk toward the kitchen to say our goodbyes.

"Awww! You two are leaving!" Nana whines as she gets to us before Papa does. "Why don't you stay? We can hide you!"

"Nana" Davis starts "As much as we love to stay we have to get to New York. We love you." I give Nana a hug first and then Davis soon Papa is standing in the doorway.

"Be careful." He instructs giving Davis a hug first then me.

"Come back home soon, baby girl." Papa whispers into my ear, and I just nod fighting back tears.

"We will be careful. We are headed somewhere far away from here." I inform them. We are about to walk out the door, but Nana screams wait!

"You promised that before you left you would propose to Emmalyn! You have to keep your word young man." Nana shouts in an attempt to keep both of us here. She knows that neither of us is ready to get married; that wily old woman.

"Emmalyn." Davis calls, and I look at him on one knee.

I know this isn't for real, but it still makes me want to cry.

"I am in love with you." Davis continues. "I don't know how I lived before you blew into my life, and I don't know how I will live if you ever left me. Whenever I am lost in the darkness of my world, you are my light in the dark. You are my lighthouse that guides me to safety. Making you smile has become my number one goal in life, and I don't want to know what life would be like if I didn't see your smile. So Emmalyn Ivashkov will you do me the greatest honor in all of this world and promise to marry me in a few years."

Despite myself, I let out a small laugh at the last words that leave his mouth. I know that he is serious about everything he says now; hearing everything he has put forth.

Do I want to be married in a few years is the only question running through my mind right now. I know I want to date him but marriage? That is a whole other category all together. As I was about to say not yet a picture of my parents enters my mind reminding me that life is short, and if I love him, then what else do I need? Plus, it would be in a few years not tomorrow. A few years could be like in five years and I wouldn't mind getting married in five years.

"Yes. I promise to marry you in a few years." After the word yes, Davis had wrapped his arms tightly around me spinning me around causing laughter to spill out from me.

"Here dear." Nana hands Davis a box and inside the box is a small ring. It was a beautiful pearl surrounded by diamonds that gave it a nice sparkle. It was pretty, but understated, not flashy or anything. It was just perfect for me. I fell in love with it upon first sight.

"This was my first engagement ring from your Papa when I was 15. He was 17 and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we would be getting married one day. To mark me as taken, he gave me this ring on the grounds that one day I would marry him. 68 years, four kids, and one amazing grandson later this ring still holds all of its magic."

Davis looks into my eyes as he slips the ring on my ring finger on my left hand. When the beautiful ring is firmly in place Davis says the words I have been longing to hear; "I love you."

"Swear to me that you're not lying." Instead of saying I love you too, like an idiot I make him swear his love to me. What is wrong with me? But Davis just laughs at it as if that is the cutest thing I have ever said.

"I swear on 3.2 million dollars that I love you." That sentence makes the tears I had been fighting fall down my cheeks. Davis takes his thumb and wipes them away with a small smile of his face. He really did love me.

"Because 3.2 million dollars in the most important thing." I mumble more to myself than to anyone else. "I swear on 3.2 million dollars that I love you more." With that Davis lips crash onto mine, sealing our proclamation.

"Let's go." He whispers and I nod, giving both Nana and Papa another hug then walking out into the great sunshine.

Our stupid civic was parked in the lot behind the house as to not draw unwanted attention. We walk to it in complete blissful silence. Neither of us need to fill the silence. As we approach the civic, I hear a ticking sound. I shake it off thinking that it must just be in my mind.

"Do you hear that ticking?" Davis stops and asks me.

Before I can answer we are knocked back by an explosion. Hot metal and car pieces are flying everywhere! We hit the asphalt hard pain shooting through every inch of my body. I barely have time to recover before I see Jared Sage across the street from us. I can't even take the time to process that this is the first time I have seen him in person.

"DAVIS!" I scream, pointing toward where Jared is standing.

He sees Jared and yanks me off the crowd, practically dragging me in the opposite direction. Before we get too far, we see some of his goons' right in front of us. Davis drags me behind one of the cars that had been near us. The explosion has caused so much smoke it is hard to see, even in such an open space. It would take Jared's goons a minute to find us. Unfortunately, it also meant exposing ourselves to the smoke.

"Davis." I choked panic rising in my voice. "I am scared." He takes me into his arms, covering my mouth with his shirt while he thinks of a plan.

"Adrian calm down! We don't know if she was in the car!" Rose calls from somewhere close by.

We need to do something quickly, or we were going to get caught by someone. I'm not ready to go home, yet, and I certainly don't want to die. Looking at Davis I silently ask him if he is ready to start running. He nods and we take off, running into the open air. It is utter chaos.

Sirens are wailing in the distance and civilians are screaming. I even hear the sound of gunshots being fired and know my loved ones are trying to take out as many of Jared's men as possible. I silently pray they will all survive as we run straight into the heart of the fight. It's the only way out.

Dimitri is the first of my family to see us. He runs towards us calling my name, but Davis holds tight to my hand as we continue running up Bennett Avenue trying to get out alive.

There are too many shooters and too many sounds for anyone to make out. All I know is that I am basically being dragged by Davis as we run trying not to get killed. I know he will protect me; it is just what he does. I feel someone reach out and grab my arm, but I punch them before they get a good grip on me. I silently thank my my guardians for teaching me self-defense despite my father's wishes.

Davis is fighting someone off of him as well. I lash out with my magic and make my attacker fall down and crack his head on the sidewalk as I pray it wasn't someone I love. I can't find any emotions to care if he lived or died. My hand finds Davis's and we started to run again. I haven't a clue where, we were going but as long as we didn't get caught then we would be fine.

Suddenly, Davis pushes me roughly to the ground and everything else happens in slow motion. I hear a gun shot, and watch the bullet hit Davis in the stomach. As he fell, I saw my life crumble right before my eyes.

"Nikolas!" I scream but he isn't saying a word.

I see blood seeping out of the back of his, and I know what I have to do at that moment. I will not let him die. I summon my magic and put a force field around us. No one can bother us now.

Looking up, I stare straight into my father's eyes. He is trying to force his way through my protective bubble, but I can't let him get in. I need to save Davis and get us out of here.

There is a spell that I shouldn't know. It pulls energy from the people around the user to heal the person the spell is being performed on. It is technically considered dark magic, and I am not even supposed to know this spell exists. I found it a year ago in an old magic book that Jackie owns. She said she would teach it to me, but only use it if I can't live without the person who is dying. I can't even begin to think what life would be like with Davis.

Placing my hands over his chest I feel my magic coursing through my body. I start to chant the Latin words from memory, and I can feel the energy coming from the people around me. It fills me up, and I push it into Davis.

No one wants to give up their energy, but I will not let this stop me. I chant the incantation louder imposing my will onto them. I hear the sound of men falling down all around me, which means the spell is working.

Opening my eyes, I see the wound start to close up, but his breaths are still shallow, and he could still die. I feel the stress of the spell attacking me. This spell is unnatural, and my body is protesting it, but I don't care. He will live!

I scream the incantation as tears pour down my cheeks, and before I know it Davis' eyes are open and he is fine. I let out a short breath as the world starts to spin. I say a quick spell to relocate us to somewhere safe. I really didn't care as long as we were away from Jared Sage and my father. The last thing I remember before passing out were Davis' arms wrapping around me and a whispered,

"I love you."

**A/N: Well, do you guys love it as much as I did? Give Dimitria some love. She really deserves it after this chapter. **


	22. Cold

**A/N: So thanks to the awesome Miss Dimitria, this chapter is going to be way different than I originally planned, but I think it will be for the better. A good chunk of it is going to be a repeat of the last chapter, but from a few different characters' P.O.V.'s. I think it is important to see this part from as many sides as possible. It is the only way to get the true essence of the whole scene. I have been thinking about this chapter all day. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

**ADRIAN**

"That makes no sense." Lissa said to Guardian Cyrus. "Why would he be stupid enough to leave? He has to know that the guardians have the place surrounded. What is he doing?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty." Cyrus answered with a small bow. "As you've heard, I have him being followed. Would you like me to change the order? Have him arrested? Or possibly killed?"

Lissa looked at me silently asking what I wanted. Arresting and killing him would solve our biggest problem, right now. We wouldn't have to worry about him getting his hands on Emmalyn before we could find her. We could simply let her finish her trip to Zoe and figure things out from there.

I imagined Sage would be expecting something like that, though. He would be prepared to fight and possibly cause a scene. Being an Alchemist, he would easily be able to use his connections to cover up any possible exposure. Hell, he could probably get our guardians locked up by the human police. We didn't need to take that kind of exposure risk.

It was a difficult decision to make. As a father, I wanted to tell them to do whatever needed to be done to keep my daughter safe, but as a member of the Moroi race I couldn't risk exposure to our people like that. No, whatever we did had to be done as quietly as possible. Following him was our best option at this point.

"Just keep following him." I said. "We want to know everything that he does while he is gone. In the meantime, we will continue our search for Nik and Emmalyn. If anyone matching either of their descriptions enters that warehouse we wanna know."

I felt a bit like a douche giving this guardian orders when it really wasn't my place. He was one of the Court guardians, which meant he only had to take orders from Lissa. Brandon and Mark were the only ones in this group in my employ. They had been taking mine and Rose's orders flawlessly over the last few weeks. These guardians didn't have to do as I said, though.

"Guardian Cyrus, please consider any orders Mr. Ivashkov gives as an order from me." Lissa, sensing my discomfort, said.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I will keep you updated until Sage's return to the compound." Cyrus answered with a small bow.

"Thank you." Lissa replied in her most regal voice raising herself to her full height. She had been queen for about twenty years, and I still couldn't believe how good she was at it. "We need to find Emmalyn as soon as possible. Toledo doesn't seem like a very big place, but I have a feeling it isn't going to be easy to find them."

"We know where his grandparents live." Rose said from beside Dimitri. "And that he graduated from Start High School. It should be easy to get an address for the school. Both are good places to start."

"I say we do the grandparents first." Eddie added. "If they want refuge, it makes sense that Nik would take them to family or friends."

"I just can't understand why he doesn't take her to the compound." Jill stated. "I mean, if Jared has leverage. Now, would be the perfect time to drop Emmalyn off. Why is he still trying to run?"

It was a good question, and I found myself wondering the same thing. Sydney had said that she thought Nik genuinely cared for her. Was that enough to make him conflicted about handing her over in exchange for whatever leverage Jared had against him? Or was he simply playing with her? Was he sadistic enough to make her fall in love with him before he handed her over? There were too many question to ponder in this situation and I was getting extremely frustrated.

"It doesn't matter." Rose said. I didn't notice until then that she was staring intently at Jill. It was almost as if she expected Jill to do or say something important. Jill simply stood there clingy to Eddie's hand and ignoring Rose's stare. "All that matters is that she is still out there, and we need to find her before Nik decides that the leverage is more important to him than Emmalyn."

"She's right." Christian said, clapping his hands. "We need to get to Nik's grandparents and find out if they have any idea where she is."

"They literally live just around the corner from here." Rose said finally tearing her eyes away from Jill. "It shouldn't take us more than five minutes to get there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I said, turning to head back to where we came from. It was a good ten minute walk back to the van. I didn't know what kind of time we had, so the sooner we started the better.

_-Hurry Home-_

"Let me do the talking." Lissa said calmly as we made our way towards the pretty blue house on the quiet little street. The garden in front of it was beautiful, but the number of stone statues in it would've been enough to terrify any Doctor Who fan. "If she is being uncooperative, I will be able to use my compulsion and get us into the house. We can look for them ourselves after that."

"Are you sure we should all go up there?" Dimitri asked. "I don't want to scare the poor woman."

"Yes." Lissa said. "I'm hoping to appeal to her maternal instincts. If she sees how many people are here to love and support Emmalyn, she might be more willing to tell us where they are."

I liked Lissa's logic, but I wasn't sure it was going to work. Nik Baker's bad reputation came from somewhere. It most likely started with his grandparents. I sincerely doubted we would be able to get anywhere without the help of compulsion.

"If you say so." I muttered under my breath as Lissa rang the doorbell. I focused my extra sensitive hearing on the inside of the house. There was only one person in the living room, but I could definitely hear the distinct sound of two heartbeats toward the back of the house.

It took a long moment, but an old woman finally answered the door. She had wide eyes and a kind smile. The aura pulsing around was that of a normal happy human. In fact, she was estatic about something, but I didn't know what it was.

"Hi, we are looking for your grandson, Nikolas Baker, and a female he is traveling with." Lissa said kindly but firmly. She was doing her best to sound like the kid, diplomatic queen she had become. There was a slight edge to her tone, though. It seemed like she was afraid the kids wouldn't be here. "Her name is Emmalyn Ivashkov also going by Alyn Sage. Have they been here?"

The woman's aura changes just slightly. Someone would have to be as skilled as I was at reading auras to catch it, but whatever was about to come out of the woman's mouth was going to be a lie.

"I am sorry, but I haven't seen my grandson in a very long time. He left as soon as he could." I had to hand it to the old woman. She was an amazing actress. Her voice caught in the right place as she said those words, and I swear there were tears swimming in her eyes. If it wasn't for her pulsing aura, I would've believed her. "If you find him please tell him to come home."

I didn't believe for a moment that my daughter wasn't in that house. I was pretty sure this was the only place Nik would feel comfortable enough to bring her. Besides, I could still hear the sounds of two more heartbeats inside the house. I couldn't just walk away knowing my daughter was right there in front of me.

I had been standing in the front of our little group beside Lissa. I had been okay with letting her do the talking before I realized what a liar this woman was. Now, I just wanted to do what I had to do to get my daughter back.

"Ma'am," I said, putting Lissa's idea of appealing to her maternal instincts to the test. "My daughter ran away from home. I am just trying to find her. She is in a lot of danger and if you know where she is, you are doing more harm to her by not telling us where she is."

"I had a daughter once." She answered. Her eyes got that faraway look as she got lost in a memory of some sort. "She was a beautiful, young thing but as soon as she could, she up and left."

As the words left her mouth, I felt a bubble of hope growing in my stomach. If her daughter had run away from her too, then she would understand exactly what I was going through. She would give me my daughter back.

The tiny bubble of hope was popped by her next words, though.

"I know this might be hard for you but sometimes children need to be away from their parents to grow into their own. I haven't seen your daughter, but maybe if she doesn't want to be found, you should stop looking."

My jaw dropped open as her words registered in my mind. That might have been true in normal circumstances, but my daughter was being chased by her demented grandfather who had this woman's grandson wrapped around his finger. Being away from me was not a good thing for my daughter, right now.

I opened my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, but Lissa held her hand out to stop me. She shot me an-I'll-take-care-of-this-look.

"Ms. Baker," She said in the calm tone she used when she worked compulsion. I stayed quiet not wanting to break her concentration. "Do you know where she is?"

The woman's eyes narrowed into slits, and I knew the compulsion hadn't worked. She must have had a pretty strong mind, or at least be using some pretty powerful magical protection to not fall for Lissa's compulsion. If Nik was a powerful warlock, he learned from this powerful witch.

"No, and if you try your little trick on me again, I will make sure you never move again."

The threat was enough to make me want to get off the porch and find another way to get to Emmalyn. I wasn't afraid of much, but I'd seen enough magic from Sydney to know that power like that was nothing you messed with.

Unfortunately, Rose didn't have the same experience as me. All she knew was that someone was threatening Lissa, and she reacted to that in the only way she knew how. She pushed her way to the front of the group and got right in the old woman's face.

"If you hurt her in anyway, I will rip you to pieces." She growled. I knew she would've done whatever she needed to do to protect Lissa, but I also knew this witch would stop her before she could even throw a punch. Rose needed to stand down or this was going to turn into a fight that we didn't need.

Thankfully, Dimitri understood the situation a lot better than Rose did. He placed a calming hand on her shoulder, effectively pulling her back from the old woman.

"Thank you for your time." He said as he ushered Rose and the rest of our group of the porch.

"She's in there." I said as we made our way back to the van. "They both are. I could hear their hearts beating."

"So could I." Christian said, "But if the old lady won't let us in, then we have to find another way to get to them."

"We could always just wait them out." Eddie suggested with a shrug. "I mean, they are gonna know we were here, so Emmalyn will want to get away as soon as possible. If we are out here when they come out, then they can't get away."

"That's true, but if the old woman is watching us, she won't let them leave until we are gone." Mikhail pointed out the whole in Eddie's plan.

"So we scour the neighborhood looking for the Civic." Dimitri said. "We find it and ambush them when they go to get in it."

"Do you realize how many Civics could be in this neighborhood alone. How are we going to find there's?" Christian asked.

"Easy." Rose said. "Dhampirs are trained for this kind of thing we notice the little things Moroi over look. Like the small dent in on the driver side door of the car. Or the small crack in the windshield. They went for an old used care because it is harder to spot, but those little bits of damage are exactly what dhampirs look for when we are on alert."

"All six of us saw that Civic when we pulled into the motel in Arizona." Dimitri stated. "We took inventory of it, then shoved it to the back of our minds in case we needed it. Each one of us will take a Moroi and head in different directions of the neighborhood. When one of us finds it, we will call the others."

"Exactly." Rose said. "Lissa will come with me and Mikhail. Christian will go with Dimitri and Brandon. Jill you will be with Eddie. And Adrian will go with Mark. I won't give you guys orders on where to look. Your training should take over from here."

Nobody questioned Rose. The simply paired up with the person they were ordered to, and headed off in their own directions. I took one last look at the house and prayed this would work before following Mark toward the busy street we came in off of.

_-Hurry Home-_

Ten minutes later, my phone rang. I wasn't one to give all of my friends their own silly little ringtones. No, my was a standard ringing phone for everyone. I pulled it out and saw Rose's number flashing on the caller id.

"Did you find it?" I asked without preamble.

"Dimitri and Brandon did." Rose answered. "The problem is; they aren't the only ones who found it. Several of Jared's men have surrounded the area. They aren't close enough to attract attention, but Dimitri can tell they are there."

"What are they doing?" I asked in a sudden panic.

"Dimitri says it looks like they are just waiting for something." Rose answered. "Dimitri and Brandon aren't going to try to take them on without back up, but we need to get there as soon as possible."

"Where is there?" I asked realizing she never actually told me where the car was found.

"It is the parking lot directly behind Nik's grandparents' house." She answered. "Lissa, Mikhail, and I are heading that way now."

"Brandon and I are right behind you." I flipped the phone shut and Brandon and I tore off back toward where we came from.

Panic flooded me as a million thoughts ran through my mind. This would be the perfect chance for Jared to get his hands on Emmalyn. All he had to do was appear to Nik as a reminder of whatever he was holding over Nik's head. The question was: Would Nik hand her over?

Images of Sydney lying face down on the ground as rivers of blood flowed from her open throat. Tear stung my eyes as I tried not to think of my daughter dying the same way her mother had. I refused to allow myself to even go there. We would get to Emmalyn before Jared got to Nik. We had just had to. There was no other option.

Rose, Lissa, and Mikhail met us just before we rounded the corner to the parking lot, and that's when all hell broke loose.

A loud explosion rent the air and we turned the corner in time to see the little Civic go up in a ball of smoke and flames. Twisted metal and other pieces of the car flew in every direction. I didn't see any body parts, but that didn't mean they hadn't been in the car before it blew.

Panic seized me as I blindly ran towards the still burning pile of metal. I had to know if my little girl was in there. I had to save her. I need to heal. It didn't matter that I was already bound to Jill. If I had to risk even more insanity just to save her I would.

"Dimitri, grab him!" I heard Rose shout in a panicked voice. I hadn't even noticed the others had joined us. I only had eyes for the burning hunk of metal my daughter could be trapped in.

Dimitri's body hit mine like a wrecking ball and almost knocked me backwards. It was miracle that I managed to stay on my feet. Still, I recovered I tried, once again, to get to the car. I faintly recalled hearing a female scream someone's name, but I wasn't in my right mind. Dimitri wrapped me in a bear hug strong enough to hold a wild animal in place, but I didn't let that stop me. I struggled against him shouting all kinds of profanities. I needed to get to that car. I needed to know that my daughter was safe.

"Adrian calm down! We don't know if she was in the car!" Rose yelled getting in front of me.

"We don't think she was." Dimitri said into my ear. "We didn't see anyone, but it happened so fast."

"Please, don't let her have been in there." I prayed to anyone who would listen as I stopped fighting Dimitri.

It was then that the gunshots sounded.

**ROSE**

The sound of the first gunshot made me glad that I had told the other to bring weapons other than silver stakes. Every one of the guardians in our group, including me, had pulled out their own hand gun and was preparing to start firing back.

"Mark, Brandon, Mikhail, protect the Moroi." I ordered. "Do not let them anywhere near the car, and if someone tries to hurt them, shoot first and ask questions later. Eddie and Dimitri, you are going to follow me into the chaos. We need to find Emmalyn quickly and make sure that no harm comes to her. Kill as many of Jared's people as possible."

Nobody needed to be told twice. It was one of the many advantages to being the queen's personal guardian; when I spoke, people listened. I only prayed Adrian wouldn't try to do something stupid as I headed into the chaos that seemed to originate from the still burning Civic.

Dimitri and Eddie had my back, of course, but the chaos of the whole thing still soon had us split up. Shots were being fired from every direction, and it was difficult to dodge bullets while trying to land my own shots, especially when the only places to take cover where other cars, which were blanketed in thick black smoke.

I heard Dimitri yell Emmalyn's name at one point, but I was trapped behind a car waiting for an opening on a man that was fire round after round in my direction.

I heard sirens start up in the distance and knew we had to end this soon. If the police caught us, we would all get locked up and that wouldn't do any of us any good.

**ADRIAN**

As usual, the second Rose gave orders everyone just followed them without asking any questions. Mark, Brandon, and Mikhail shuffled Lissa, Christian, Jill, and me into a tight little circle and began firing at any of Jared's men they could see.

I searched through the chaos trying to find Emmalyn. I needed to see that she was alright. I didn't even care if we managed to get her away from Nik. I just needed to know that she was still alive and unharmed. If I saw that, I could survive. Until then, I couldn't do anything but panic.

The smoke began to settle a little as sirens sounded somewhere in the distance. I could barely hear innocent bystanders scream and running in every direction, but I couldn't bring myself to care about them. I just needed to know that my baby was safe.

My heart stopped when I saw Nik rushing in our direction dragging Emmalyn behind him. She looked dirty and there were soot smudges on her face, but she was alive and moving. That's what mattered. Both she and Nik looked like they had been in fight of their own.

I watch as they make their way up the busy street of Bennett Avenue wanting to run to her and wrap my arms around her. It is too dangerous for that, though. It wouldn't do her any good if I got myself shot while trying to get to her.

I saw it at the same time Nik did. One of Jared's men popped out of a bush several feet from where they were running. He had his gun trained on Emmalyn. I screamed her name and broke free of the guardians, racing towards my baby girl. I knew I wouldn't make it in time, though.

Things went in slow motion after that. Nik shoved Emmalyn to the ground just as the guy pulled the trigger. The bullet hit him in the side and didn't come out. He fell forward grabbing at the wound.

Emmalyn screamed his name in utter agony as she caught him. She didn't even see the guy aiming to take another shot. A bullet coming from behind me went straight through his head before he could get the shot off. I didn't even bother to look behind me to see who had shot him as I continued my run to Emmalyn.

I knew she hadn't been hit, but I had to make sure she was okay for myself. I had to be able to hold her in my arms before I'd be satisfied that she was alive and well.

I was inches from her when I literally hit a wall. I staggered back a few feet and assessed what had happened. There was nothing between Emmalyn, Nik, and I, but I couldn't get through to her. She had put up a force field that refused to let me through. She was cradling Nik's head in her lap and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Emmalyn!" I scream trying to force my way through her force field, but it won't budge. "Let me in. I can help. Please." I hit it repeatedly, but she doesn't respond.

When she finally looks up at me, it is with bloodshot, nearly hopeless eyes, but there is also an apology in them. I didn't understand, until she looked back at Nik and began chanting in Latin.

I didn't recognize the spell, but I had a feeling it was one she shouldn't have even known. I continued trying to break through her wall screaming for her to stop and let me help her.

She continued to chant with her hands over Nik's heart without even acknowledging me. It took me awhile to realize that the more she chanted, the weaker I got. I had been running on adrenaline through most of the situation, but even that energy was leaving me.

It wasn't until I had fallen to my knees pounding on the invisible wall in front of me that I realized what she was doing. She was stealing my life force and giving it to Nik. Did she really hate me so much that she wanted me dead in place of the boyfriend who would probably betray her?

There was no doubt in my mind that she loved him, but I didn't think it would be enough to choose me over him.

Faintly, I heard the others yelling at me and Emmalyn. They were asking her to stop, but she didn't. I could hear the sounds of men falling all around me as I fought to hold on to my life. I took comfort in the idea that I wasn't the only one she was stealing from.

"Please, Emmalyn." I cry one last time, before she and Nik vanish into thin air, and my world fades to black.

**ROSE**

When the smoke finally settled and the shooting stopped, I was met with a ghastly sight. A good majority of Jared's men were lay dead or dying on in the parking lot and surrounding area, but it was more than just Jared's men.

Mikhail lay a few feet from Christian. Christian looked just fine as he pressed his shirt to Mikhail's leg.

Mark was a few feet away from them. He had taken a blast to the head and was probably dead.

Eddie was on the ground several feet from the still smoldering Civic.I could see the steady rise and fall of his chest and thanked God he was still alive. Jill who was as alright as Christian was sitting by his side, begging him to walk up.

Dimitri, ever the badass God, was standing in front of a row of cars that had some serious damage. He had lowered his gun and was surveying the damage just as I had been. There wasn't a scratch on him. I smiled at him, until I realized what he was looking at.

A few feet from the car I stood behind were Lissa, Adrian, and Brandon. Brandon and Lissa looked fine, but they were leaning over an immobile Adrian. Panic shot through as I thought of the worst.

"_Please don't let him be dead." _I begged God, hoping he wouldn't choose know to forsake me as I ran toward my best friend.

**A/N: Well, what do you guys think? **


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